To The Stars
by Walter Kovacs
Summary: A mysterious summons and new enemies force Shinji to examine and re-examine his life, loves and priorities. A crossover.
1. Retrievals

To The Stars

Chapter One: Retrievals

_To call it a crucible in the history of humanity would be an exercise in the skill of understatement. The planet had finally managed to stabilize itself in the wake of the complete chaos that came with Second Impact, only to find that it was under attack by an enemy completely unlike anything in recorded history. What have been referred to as the 'Angel Conflicts' managed to inflict a massive amount of death and property damage in the relatively little time since their official beginning in 2015, though this was largely localized in the Tokyo-3 region. No conventional military force could do anything to stop them, meaning that the fate of humanity rested on the shoulders of pilots too young to vote as they used machines whose abilities and workings are still not completely understood. For a time, it seemed as if the entire world revolved around three gigantic mecha. Little did anyone know that the true threat had yet to arrive._

- Matt Agrama, _Angels and Aliens._

It was a story Shinji knew all too well. Fifteen years ago, an object of unknown origin (later publicly decreed to be a meteorite by an act of blatant disinformation) hit the Earth in an event now known as "Second Impact". Though a complete death toll was never tallied, Second Impact and the disasters it caused managed to cut the planet's population in half, going from six billion to three in the relative wink of an eye. Unfortunately, as Shinji also knew all too well, the story did not end there. No, the legacy of Second Impact could prove just as disastrous, for it brought with it new dangers. Very large, very powerful ones, complete with a desire to wipe out anything and everything in their way. This was the facet of Second Impact Shinji was intimately familiar with, as numerous injuries and a hospital stays would attest to.

Thus, it is because of this understanding of Second Impact that the son of Commander Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV, and pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 found it rather difficult to stay focused on his teacher's lecture.

"…period of political chaos in the American northeast as…."

Sensei's monotone continued on as though were not the product of an actual person speaking, but instead a pre-recorded message put on display as a half-hearted attempt to justify having an actual lesson about the subject. Adding to Shinji's difficulty was the fact that Dr. Akagi had put him and Asuka through a new round of synch-testing the previous afternoon and the boy had found it particularly grueling for some reason. Accidentally leaning in too close to Asuka afterward had not helped things either, as it only gave her an excuse to test her right hook on his face. Not that she ever needed an excuse, but Shinji nevertheless tried not to provoke her in any way. He had become fairly aware of what set her off (nearly everything) and what he could do to placate her (serve as her punching bag), and so tried to make a point of treading very lightly in her presence.

Distracted by his thoughts, Shinji failed to realize that he had been staring at the German red-head for a few minutes. It was only when she started to shift in her chair that the boy realized what he was doing. Quickly turning his gaze back to the notebook in front of him, only one thought occupied Shinji's mind:

_Dear God, please, _please,_ don't let her have noticed me staring at her. My jaw is still sore from last night._

After about a minute, Shinji decided to risk another glance in her direction on the assumption that, had she seen him, a death glare would be focused on him right now. He looked, and let out a small sigh of relief. She was still sitting with her face forward, no indication that she had any knowledge of Shinji's latest instance of indiscretion.

Muttering a silent prayer of gratitude to whatever cosmic force that had deigned to show pity in his favor, Shinji resolved to keep his attention focused on the teacher's lecture. It was still mind-numbing in its tedium, to be sure, but it easily stood as the superior alternative to bodily harm, which Asuka never had any trouble dispensing.

Several hours later, as class let out for the day, the incident was largely forgotten in favor of the more pressing concern that was Toji and Kensuke's latest conversation with him. At least, Shinji tried to convince himself it was a pressing concern. Or at the least, something he should pay attention to. Ever since the battle with the twelfth Angel and yet another stint in the hospital, he had found it a little hard to get things back to 'normal'. Perhaps it was simply the fact that he was only a few days out of the hospital, but whenever he closed his eyes, the scent of blood filled his nostrils.

Again distracted, Shinji failed to notice that Asuka had walked over to him until the red-head was positioned right in front of him. The slight smile on her face caused a sinking feeling to form in his gut.

"Oh, Shinji?" She asked in a deceptively sweet tone.

"Ah, yes?"

He never saw the fist coming, but was certainly aware of the all-too familiar numbness that accompanied a blow to the head.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Toji thundered.

"Baka Shinji shouldn't spend his time in class mentally undressing me! Next time, keep your eyes to yourself!"

"Like anyone could try to picture you naked without going blind!" Toji shot back, rushing in to defend his friend.

"Shinji seems capable enough," Asuka retorted.

The aforementioned Third Child, meanwhile, was busy nursing his face, mentally too pre-occupied with the conflicting thoughts of blaming himself for being stupid enough to stare at her, frustration with Asuka's hyper-sensitivity, and the presiding feeling of pain emanating from the side of his face. As such, he was still undecided on whether or not to attempt a protest in his own defense, or simply to go with his usual tactic of a meek apology followed by the hope that it would be enough when Asuka turned away and stormed off. For a brief moment that appeared to be the end of the latest crisis that comes from being near the Second Child, when one last remark made it to Shinji's ears:

"Don't forget to get home soon, baka! I don't want to wait for dinner."

Once she was out of sight, Toji took a moment to speak his mind regarding the Eva pilot.

"Red-haired demon," he grumbled. "What I wouldn't give to see her taken down a bit."

"Aw, she just wants her boyfriend home quick so they can eat dinner together," Kensuke joked.

Shinji was actually already having thoughts along those lines, though not quite the way his friend had meant. A traditional European dinner would probably be enough to soothe Asuka's temper, and would be a nice change of pace from the usual Japanese meals of late. The problem facing him was, of course, just what kind of European dish would be proper. Obviously, something German, but did he have the necessary ingredients? And did he risk further inciting her by going to the store, chancing that he would end up delivering a late meal? Considering the relatively large reward-to-risk ratio of such questions, the answers had to be weighed with extreme care.

"Sounds like you've got yourself a real hellion there, kid."

It was an unfamiliar voice that interrupted Shinji's internal debate. The man that supplied it was now walking towards the three friends at a steady pace. He was tall, looking to be a little over six feet and dressed in a uniform Shinji had never seen before.

"Yeah, I think that's right," Shinji answered, not really sure what to make of the stranger.

"Looks like she's got a mean right hook to go with that temper, too. I'll bet the domestic life gets pretty hectic at times."

He spoke with something of an accent, an indicator that Japanese was not his native language, and had now stopped in front of Shinji, looking directly at him. Unsure of how to respond, the boy decided it would be best to simply be direct.

"What do you want?"

The stranger actually seemed a little bit uncomfortable because of that question, as though he was slightly embarrassed. He put a hand on the back of his head, a common enough symbol of discomfort, and scratched the surface underneath his slightly unruly blonde hair.

"I was sent to collect you. The UEG has a project in its final stages and the brass decided that you should be involved in the latest round of tests."

"Me? But why?" Shinji stammered.

"They wanted an Evangelion pilot involved and decided that you were the best. Hence, me being here."

"Ha! Wouldn't the red devil love to hear that?" Toji spouted.

"You're going to be in a secret project? Awesome!" Kensuke said to his friend, visions of death mecha filling his mind.

"I, I don't know about this…" Shinji mumbled.

"Unfortunately, it's not your choice. The brass wanted you specifically, and they're not going to take 'no' for an answer. I'm sorry. I know it's not fair to suddenly uproot you from your life just for some tests. All I can do is promise you'll be back home in a few weeks. You have my word on that."

Shinji was not sure what to make of this sudden development. All he could think about was the last time a mysterious summons had arrived and promptly put his life in a tailspin, leading to one near-death experience after another.

Who was this guy? Another manipulator, like his father? Someone using him and who knows how many others for his own mysterious ends? What was this 'secret project' and why would an Evangelion pilot be needed? Questions like these were not something Shinji needed at this point in his life – there were already far too many.

"I'll just be gone a few weeks?" He asked, warily.

"Three and a half, maybe four at the most. And that will only be if things on our end go snail-paced. It probably won't take longer than three, honest."

"Then I'll be back?"

"I'll fly you back myself – your personal chauffer. It would be the least I could do. Believe me; I know what it's like to be called in to work on something you know next to nothing about."

"I – uh, thanks"

"Like I said, don't worry about it," the stranger said. He then stopped for a moment, as if considering his next words. "Look at it this way – if this goes okay, it could make your life a lot easier."

"What does that mean?" Shinji asked.

"Are you doing something to the Evangelions? New weapons, or something like that?" Kensuke asked, a glint in his eye. The man frowned.

"Can't tell you that yet. Classified. Sorry."

"Aw, you've gotta give us something! Shinji's our friend!" Kensuke protested.

" Classified. What else can I say?"

"I bet it's some new weapon," Kensuke rather smugly said to Toji, who just rolled his eyes at his friend's over-eager attitude.

Shinji had completely ignored the previous exchange between his friend and the newcomer. He was still very uneasy about the situation, and the mystery surrounding it. Somehow, he summoned the will to look the man in the eyes, trying to gain some understanding of what was happening. This had all the signs of some cloak and dagger intrigue, the type that inevitably made his life needlessly problematic. Did his father know about this? Was it his idea? And what about the people he would leave here – what would happen to them while he was away? Who would pilot Unit-01?

Yet, Shinji felt at ease around this man. He exuded a kind of relaxed honesty about life, a sense that what you saw was what you got. He certainly had a better way of presenting his mission than by threatening to send a half-dead fourteen-year-old girl into harm's way. Somehow, Shinji believed that he could trust the uniformed stranger. Besides, it wasn't as if he was going to have any actual choice in the matter, considering what the man said about orders from 'the brass'.

"When do I leave?"

"Tonight, though I think I can convince my compatriots to put a hold on things long enough for you to have dinner with your girlfriend and your guardian." The stranger replied with a smile. Shinji blushed slightly.

"Um, Asuka isn't my girlfriend."

"Ah. Well, I'm sure you'll fix that once you get back."

He put his arm around Shinji's shoulder and the two began to walk, Toji and Kensuke following right behind them. The more athletically minded of the two decided to let his thoughts on the stranger's previous statement be known.

"Ha! Like she could ever muster decency to be around him without tossing insults."

"Or punches," Kensuke added.

"Turbulent relationship, I take it?"

"That's….putting it lightly," Shinji replied. The man let out a small laugh.

"I'll give you a few pointers. Trust me – I know all about calming troubled waters."

"Um, thanks Mr…"

"Aw, jeez, I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself. You must have thought I was some faceless spook. My name is Roy Fokker."

000

Major Misato Katsuragi had mixed feelings on the nature of surprises. On the one hand, there were the occasional pleasant surprises, like the revelation that Shinji was a decent cook for a boy barely old enough to drive. That was certainly an example of the kind of surprise she liked to have in her life – something nice and helpful.

On the other hand, there were the less-than-pleasant surprises, like when she found out that Kaji – _Kaji_ of all people – would be hanging around Tokyo-3 for the foreseeable future. The fact that her lying, manipulative (and handsome) ex-boyfriend would be around to cause trouble had infuriated her to no end. Of course, her feelings on that particular subject were a great deal more confused now than they were at the time, considering how close the two had once again become, but it was still the _principle_ of the issue that mattered. Having as aggravating a figure as Kaji return to her life, bringing with him all those unresolved feelings, was counted among surprises she did not like. It meant having to deal with complicated situations, which were never fun.

Weighing all of the above, it would not be fair to say that the sudden influx of strange personnel into to the Geofront was immediately viewed by Major Katsuragi as a bad thing. Granted, she was never fond of being neglected in terms of information regarding the various happenings at NERV, but it was something she had come to expect, though definitely not enjoy.

It was when she saw NERV's sub-commander, Kozo Fuyutsuki, with a slightly bewildered (well, for him) look on his face that she decided the current chaos would be an example of the kind of surprise she disliked. The kind that led to complicated situations.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" she asked aloud, hoping to get a response from someone. Anyone.

"I'd like to know, myself," Fuyutsuki growled low enough that the major could not hear while he headed to the control room. He had to get a handle on things before the commander returned. Gendo would not enjoy seeing NERV in such a chaotic state.

Misato, meanwhile, had lost her slim measure of patience and tackled the first person she saw.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she demanded of the lanky figure in front of her.

"Entschuldigen mich, aber ich habe die Arbeit, zum zu tun. Dr. Lang wunscht Unit-01 auf Macross Insel an zwei Tagen, und ich kann nicht zeit vergeuden, wenn ich den stichtag bilden werde."

Misato was slightly taken aback by the response, simply because it was the last thing she had expected to hear. Taking a step back, she realized that an unusual amount of German was being tossed back and forth by what looked to be the ones in charge, and they were all swarming around the behemoth known as Unit-01.

_Did he just say that they were going to take the Eva? Oh, the Commander is going to kill someone over this._

Misato may have found it amusing to know that her thoughts were currently being echoed by Fuyutsuki, though there was no trace of exaggeration to his assessment, unlike hers. However, NERV's sub-commander was currently pre-occupied with the woman who appeared to be in command of the uninvited guests and thus could not relay his thoughts to Ms. Katsuragi, even if he had any such inclination to do so.

"I understand this must be frustrating for you, but my orders are clear – I am to deliver Evangelion Unit-01 to Macross Island for testing." The uniformed woman insisted.

"You may have your orders, but I have mine. No one is going to take Unit-01 anywhere unless the commander gives his express permission."

"This isn't a question of permission, sub-commander. This is a direct order – the Evangelion is to be prepared for immediate transport."

"I have no reason to recognize any authority you may or may not have Ms.-"

"_Lieutenant-Commander_ Lisa Hayes, and my authority comes directly from the United Earth Government. I'm sorry you were not informed of this ahead of time, but I'm not about to let you interfere in an operation which is now outside your jurisdiction."

"I am the one who decides jurisdiction in matters related to NERV."

Both Fuyutsuki and the lieutenant-commander turned to see the towering form of Gendo Ikari make its way over to them. Looking the uniformed intruder directly in the eye, he spoke again.

"As I am the only one to decide jurisdiction, it is up to me whether or not Unit-01 goes anywhere."

He locked her with a stare that had intimidated the most strong-willed of individuals and regularly reduced his own flesh and blood son to nothing more than a nervous wreck. Lieutenant-Commander Hayes, however, was not going to move an inch.

"You may have the final say over what happens under your direct command, but my orders come directly from the UEG and they have authority over everyone on this planet." Her voice was firm, with not so much as a hint of hesitation or intimidation. Fuyutsuki had to admit to himself that this girl was made of stern material. Commander Ikari merely grew annoyed at her continued resistance.

"Think very carefully about your next words, Lieutenant-Commander. They may come back to haunt you."

Though the threat in his voice was clear to everyone who heard it, this only had the effect of incensing Lisa further. She was about to tell the man what she really thought of him when another figure entered the room and weighed in on the matter.

"I think Commander Hayes has a very accurate view of the situation, unlike you Ikari."

Gendo set his jaw and turned to face the corpulent figure of someone he had hoped to never have to deal with again. Meanwhile, Lisa snapped to attention.

"Colonel Leonard! No one told me you would be here."

_I'll bet,_ thought Fuyutsuki, remembering his own, rather unpleasant, dealings with the incredibly arrogant personage that had just intruded onto the scene. Obviously, he was the reason why things had become so chaotic.

"I hadn't originally planned to come, but I thought it best that a senior officer oversee the transition, and thus settle any disputes that might arise. It appears I was right."

If looks could kill, Anatole Leonard would have been screaming in pain due to the gaze Gendo Ikari was now directing at the bald senior officer. The last time they had met, Gendo had delivered a rather humiliating setback for one of the colonel's pet projects. It had not necessarily been deliberately malicious on Ikari's part, it was simply a way of dealing with the fact that the money Leonard was using would otherwise have been funneled into NERV's operating budget. There had never been any contact between the two men during that time, something Gendo was privately thankful for. Nevertheless, Colonel Leonard had decided to take the matter personally and later told the other man as much. At the time, it hadn't seemed important – there were men far more powerful and far more dangerous with better reasons to see the NERV Commander rotting in a ditch somewhere.

"As I'm sure Commander Hayes has already explained, we are here by the authority of the United Earth Government, which NERV operates at the pleasure of. We provide the funding and resources for your war toys and thus we have a say in what can be done with them."

Which was not really true, as both Gendo and Fuyutsuki knew. The lion's share of resources really came from SEELE, but bringing that up could lead to any number of questions that, while capable of being dealt with, could put some of the more astute members of the various intelligence communities on alert. They, too, could be dealt with, but it would require a certain amount of time and energy that SEELE would not like to have to spend because their point man got into a slap fight with some petty officer.

"I'm not going to forget this," Gendo warned.

"I'm sure you won't," Colonel Leonard responded with a smug look. "However, there is nothing you can do about it. I've already addressed the matter with the General Assembly and they have given me free reign in this matter. Planetary defense is not your personal prerogative."

If that was true, it was likely that word of this had already reached the old men at SEELE in some manner. In which case, it meant that this was being done with their tacit approval – probably a way of keeping him off-balance. Not quite ready to admit defeat, Gendo decided to resort to some last-minute tactics.

"If an Evangelion and a pilot are to take part in some test, I will need to observe the situation personally."

"That isn't possible. The projects located on Macross Island are classified. Your pilot will be sworn to secrecy until such time as the projects are deemed ready for a public unveiling." Leonard still had a smug look on his face as he said this, clearly having anticipated such a move.

"Should an Angel attack, I will need access to all available Evangelions and pilots." The Commander of NERV was determined to go down swinging.

"Your pilots have already shown themselves capable of engaging an enemy in either a one-on-one or two-on-one situation. Then there's the fact that NERV's second branch is close to finishing work on Unit-03. No, I think you'll survive the three weeks this will take."

Gendo scowled. In only a matter of minutes the bloated figure in front of him had managed to upset some very carefully laid arrangements. For a brief moment, his thoughts returned to the matter of SEELE's knowledge of these events, and the possibility that they were a somewhat roundabout way of reminding him of his 'place'. It would have to be looked into, and a possible retaliation considered, along with answering the question of how someone who was ostensibly outside SEELE's sphere of influence could manage to learn that Unit-03 was nearing completion.

Whatever the origins of the situation, it did not change the fact that he could do nothing more at the moment than allow the Colonel to take Unit-01. But that did not mean he would let this matter lie – the NERV Commander would keep an eye on Macross Island.

"Tell our people to provide Colonel Leonard with whatever assistance he needs," Gendo told Fuyutsuki before turning to leave.

"Don't be too upset over this, Ikari. I understand it would be something of a relief for you to have your son out of the way for awhile." Leonard said, not able to resist one last blow. The Commander ignored him, and left the room without another word.

"What do you want us to do?" the sub-commander asked.

"Lieutenant-Commander Hayes has the necessary instructions. I merely wanted to ensure that there would be no delay in seeing them carried out. Now that any possible obstructions have been removed, I shall leave things in her capable hands." Leonard answered.

_More like you wanted to be here just long enough to rub it in the Commander's face_, Fuyutsuki thought, but wisely held his tongue.

"Thank you, sir." Lisa said and gave a salute which the Colonel returned before turning his back on both of them.

000

While the events in the control room were playing out, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi was busy getting into an argument with one of the intruding technicians.

"Just what do you think you're doing?! I have not given anyone permission to touch that equipment! Put that down!"

"Jesus, wer läßt diesen Platz laufen?" one of them asked.

"In der Tat. Dr. Lang würde sein Haar heraus heftig zerreißen, wenn wir so fungierten. Fräulein, würden Sie bitte eine unsere Weise verlassen? Wir haben einen Zeitplan, zum zu halten." another responded before making his way to the entry plug.

Dr. Akagi was about to consider becoming violent when she heard the second technician mention a name she had tried her best to forget.

"Lang? Did you say Dr. Lang? Are you working for Emil Lang?" she asked of both, hoping either would answer.

"Sie fungiert, wie sie den Doktor kennt," the first one said.

"Vermutlich durch Renommee. Außerdem macht es nicht aus, wenn sie seine alte Freundin ist - wir sind noch auf einem Zeitplan. Er interessiert sich nicht, wem wir laufen ließen in, wenn wir die späten erhaltenen bereiten Sachen sind," the other replied before both returned to their tasks of preparing equipment for transit.

"Don't ignore me! If you're working for Emil Lang I want to know about it!" Ritsuko demanded, though neither of the two she addressed seemed to care.

"They aren't listening to you, either?" Misato asked.

"No. I suppose it would be too much to think that you know what's going on?" Ritsuko replied. Misato shook her head.

"I'm in the dark as well. I just saw Commander Ikari enter the control room a few minutes ago. We should have something resembling an answer soon. Maybe."

The scientist merely folded her arms in frustration as a response before turning her attention back to the two German-speakers.

"So, who's this 'Emil Lang' and why does he have you upset?" Misato asked. Ritsuko let out an inaudible sigh, wishing she had kept her temper in check.

"He's a scientist I met awhile ago. Brilliant, but incredibly hard to work with. We didn't get along."

"How did you meet him?"

"It was only a couple times. He was a friend of Asuka's mother, and she consulted him on her work."

"So, he worked on the Evas?"

"Not directly. How much he was actually involved is a mystery to me. I was never sure of what he did or did not know."

"So, what happened?"

"He had a falling out with Dr. Sohryu and then disappeared. I don't know what happened between them, and the number of rumors that followed only managed to confuse things."

Though she did not share this with Misato, Dr. Akagi had decided that their separation probably saved the doctor's life. For SEELE, Lang had posed a possible security risk, and his paranoid nature left him unwilling to trust the organization enough to join in any capacity. Of course, that same paranoia also made it possible for him to disappear – he had made a point of preparing various bolt holes to hide in should the need ever arise. Where he had been for the past several years, Ritsuko could not even begin to guess. One thing was certain – if he felt comfortable enough to allow himself to be associated with a NERV project, it was because he had something very big to act as a safety net. Any further musings were brought to an end when the sub-commander walked over to the two.

"I've just finished speaking with the commander. We are to render whatever assistance the representatives from the UEG require for the transport of Unit-01 to Macross Island."

"Wait, we're just giving them the Eva? What if an Angel attacks? And what are they planning to do with it? Are they expecting Shinji to –" Misato's complaints were cut off.

"Both Unit-01 and Pilot Ikari will be taken to a facility on Macross Island to participate in tests. The nature of which and all other information relating to the subject is classified."

"I don't believe this…" Ritsuko grumbled.

"We're just going to let them do this?" Misato asked.

"We have our orders. I expect them to be carried out."

With that, the sub-commander walked away, privately no happier about this than either of the two women behind him. Misato, confronted by the fact that there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop this upheaval, found it necessary to deliver a summation of the situation in as clear, concise and straight-forward language as possible.

"This stinks."

000

An ocean away from NERV headquarters, a scientist was busy running calculations through his mind. If he were to take a pen to paper and write these numbers down for all the world to see, most would pronounce them useless, the mathematical equivalent of gibberish. Even the ones who could discern a deeper meaning behind them would fail to understand the full extent of what they symbolized. However, for one Emil Lang, things could not be clearer. After years of study and toil and heartbreak, he was finally within reach of one of the many goals he had set for himself since that fateful when the word 'Macross' flitted through his ear.

Located deep within a mechanical behemoth that literally fell from the sky, Lang beheld what he regarded as his finest creation: the Reflex Furnace. If his calculations were correct, this great engine would be capable of 'folding' space in a manner that would finally grant humanity the ability to travel faster than light. Assuming all went well, the fold drives would change civilization forever. The doctor felt no small amount of pride over this, as he checked the readouts on the forms in his hands. In a few minutes, he would activate the engines for the first time, for a means of measuring power output. Lang still was not entirely sure how the rather mysterious power source of the engines functioned (or even what it actually _was_), but he knew enough to get it working and use it as a basis for other projects. Yes, projects….

A weary sigh escaped him as Land remembered that the Evangelion would arrive soon. After so many years, he would finally come into contact with one of the machines he held responsible for Kyoko's death. Somehow, he _knew_ it was her work on SEELE's oversized toy that drove her to suicide.

"Doctor, we're ready to begin," an aide said, bringing him back to reality.

"Begin initial start-up," Lang ordered in his thick German accent. The past could wait, what mattered now was this test.

"Reflex Furnace online" a computerized voice announced.

"Start infusion process at a rate of 10" Land directed.

"Infusion process, check."

"Energiemesswerte vom Ofen halten stetig," another aide said.

"Fold drive showing nominal power output."

"Good. Now, activate the fold generator, with full power."

"Fold generator…active! Power output remains nominal!"

Cheers went up from everyone present. The fold drive had been successfully activated. Now, the only thing that remained was to attempt an actual fold jump. Had it been left up to him, this would be attempted by the end of the week. Unfortunately, there were still the issues of the anti-gravity generators, the inertial dampeners, the internal artificial gravity generators, and a number of other remaining technical issues. On top of all of _that_ was the fact that the bureaucrats in charge of Macross Island wanted to make a great spectacle out of the first space fold. Still, none of the complications changed the fact that he had finally managed to activate the fold drive. A smile formed on his face as he watched the engines silently hum as energy coursed through them for the first time in over fifteen years.

The doctor had no way of knowing that at the exact same moment the drive activated, Pilot Rei Ayanami dropped the glass of water she was holding. She had no idea why such a clumsy action took place – she was holding it with a firm grip, and there were no friction-reducing substances on the glass itself. Yet, as she bent over to gather the various shards, the girl could not shake the odd feeling that had suddenly come over her.

There was one being who could possibly have made Rei understand why she had dropped the glass, but it was in no position to deliver any explanations. At the time the sensations came over it, the rather amorphous being known to some as Bardiel, the 13th Angel was readying itself to possess the creature known to the lilim as Unit-03. Such plans were immediately upset by the realization that only one thing could produce such a reaction in a being such as itself:

_Protoculture!_

It seemed impossible, but somehow Zor's great blasphemy was **here**, on this world. The Angel immediately resolved to find it. Adam would have to wait. _Everything_ else would have to wait. The Protoculture must be found, and woe to any that stood in Bardiel's path.


	2. Up and Over, Down and Around

Chapter Two: Up and Over, Down and Around

_A great deal has been written and recited about Roy Fokker's abilities both as a fighter pilot and a squadron commander. His skills in battle were unmatched during the early months of the First Robotech War, to the point that tactics he invented were taught at the Robotech Academy on the SDF-1 right alongside those conceived by recognized military geniuses. Some have gone so far as to claim that Fokker single-handedly pioneered Veritech combat. Considering such an assertion, it becomes all the more remarkable that Fokker's other great skill has gone largely ignored by the greater number of academicians and historians: his singular ability to recognize and recruit talent._

- Adam Woren, _Jolly Roger Triumphant: A History of the Skull Squadron._

Though he was not someone who enjoyed travel by ship (or even being around large bodies of water), Shinji had to admit that the view from the deck of the Prometheus was quite stunning, especially at sunset. Watching as the sun gradually descended behind the horizon, he could not look away from the vibrant colors that accompanied such a phenomenon. The obviously beautiful and oddly enticing mixtures of yellow, orange and red as they reflected off the surface of the clear blue ocean below came together to form an sight that almost took his breath away. It was moments such as these, when the entire world seemed quiet and at peace with itself, that gave Shinji a small measure of comfort, the kind that seemed all-too scarce in his short yet undeniably troubled life. He tried to re-create these experiences when listening to music on his SDAT player, but an artificial substitute could never hope to be as effective as the genuine article. Using his right hand to shield his eyes from the glare, he tilted his head upwards to better look at the interplay of colors that filled the late afternoon sky. The usual light blue was no completely gone, along with all but a few whisps of a cloud, replaced by that vibrant mesh of yellow, orange…and red.

Unconsciously rubbing his shoulder, Shinji's thoughts drifted back to the night he had left Tokyo-3 and the rather awkward (he felt) goodbyes. He had known Asuka would, in fact, pitch an unholy fit if Roy told her that outside officials considered him the best Evangelion pilot and that was why he was being taken to this 'Macross Island'. He had told Commander Fokker as much and gotten what had seemed like a promise not to mention it. In retrospect, it probably would have been better to have pushed for a firm committal, but such actions hand never been his style…

_Toji and Kensuke had (of course) insisted that they be able to attend Shinji's farewell dinner and the Third Child had been unable to dissuade them of that notion. So it was that the three boys plus one military officer arrived at the Katsuragi residence with a rather large order of take-out. It had been something of a surprise to see that Misato was already there, a very upset look distorting the normally pleasant features of her face. The first one to enter the apartment (having the effect of briefly obscuring Shinji's presence) had been Commander Fokker and for a few brief minutes it had looked as if Misato was about to put the man into the hospital. This unfortunate turn of events was prevented when Shinji, who had been trying to get a word in past his guardians rapid-fire tirade, made his presence known._

"_Misato, I'm right here," he said._

"_-arrogant, pig-headed jackboots who think they can – what? Shinji?" The look of surprise on her face was something the boy would remember for a long time._

"_Commander Fokker thought I should have dinner with everyone before leaving."_

"_All arrogant, pig-headed jackboots know the value of a meal, especially one they can mooch off of," Roy said with a lop-sided smile._

"_They told me you'd be out of the city by now," Misato said, a bit of confusion still present._

"_That reminds me," Roy muttered while taking out his phone and punching in a number. "It's me. No, no trouble, just making sure the pilot is on his way. Yeah, turns out we're going to be a little late. There's a few things he has to take care of. Don't worry so much, Lisa, you'll give yourself a stroke. He'll be at the ship with plenty of time for us to get there. Yes, I know we're on a schedule, Lieutenant-Commander. No, I don't know how Claudia puts up with me, either. Bye." _

_He flipped off the phone while Misato regarded him with a dubious expression._

"_So, can we eat now?" Kensuke asked._

_The answer to his question had been a 'no', due to the fact that Asuka had yet to arrive. Naturally, this provoked some angry muttering from Shinji's two friends, but little else. Seeking to remedy the situation, Misato had called the redhead to inform her that food was already on the table and getting cold (although Shinji had suspicions that the call was also a means of providing Asuka the opportunity to bring along Hikari, thus avoiding the inevitable blow-up following the revelation she would have to eat with 'the three stooges'). He could not make out the words, but the Third Child had definitely recognized a distinct German roar emanating from the vicinity of the phone. No more than ten minutes later, the Second Child had arrived, with a slightly bewildered Hikari in tow. An almost palpable tension was in the air, as no one could think of something to say. Well, almost no one._

"Now_ can we eat?" asked Kensuke._

_This time the answer the answer to his question was 'yes', even though Shinji still felt a bit reluctant due to the fact that there remained an unresolved question regarding the number of guests, as well as the general unease he felt over this mysterious 'project'. Such concerns did not stop the rest of the group from continuing on with the oh-so important task of stuffing their faces. Only a few minutes passed before a certain noise caught Shinji's attention…_

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Roy asked, his question jolting the boy back into reality.

"Yeah," Shinji responded, looking up at the tall soldier beside him.

"You okay? You've been awfully quiet since we left Tokyo-3."

"I'm fine. I've just been thinking."

"I don't have any loose change on me, but I'd like to hear your thoughts anyway."

Shinji returned his gaze to the slowly darkening sky, the sunlight retreating in the face of the coming dark. Somehow, it seemed easier to lie about what was really occupying his mind.

"I'm just thinking about this project you want me for. I still don't know anything about it."

"Uh huh," Roy said, regarding Shinji with a slightly skeptical look, as though he knew the boy was not telling him the whole truth. "Well, I guess it's time for me to fix that."

Shinji focused his attention on the Commander, who had shown himself to be a bit different from other figures he had known. Open and friendly at all times, different from Kaji in that there was never the slightest hint that he was holding back information for his own purposes. The exception to that assessment was the project on Macross Island, and now that seemed ready to fall away.

"You'll get the full story once we arrive – believe me, it won't really sink in until you see the little operation we're running – but the short version is that we're working on what is basically a complete overhaul of the world's military forces. The plan is that, in about five years, conventional weapons, aircraft and vehicles will be replaced by the new models coming out of the island. We've already got a small army ready for immediate use. The tests you're being called in for have to do with the one question mark that's been hanging over all this since the first of your gigantic playmates decided to take a stroll through a population center."

"You mean the Angels."

"Yep. The replacement plan is going through no matter how the tests turn out. There's no real choice there. But if the new weapons will work against Angels too, well hey – why not kill two birds with one stone?"

"That's why you want me here. Because an Eva is the closest thing you have to an Angel." Shinji looked down as he said this, a feeling of great unease enveloping him.

Roy could sense that something was wrong, something deeper than the usual jitters test pilots got. The file he had been given on the boy mentioned a general reluctance to pilot, but there was surprisingly little detail concerning why. No psychological evaluation or personal statements were included. It was a great oddity that so little about the actual boy had been put to paper, especially considering how important he was and how much was expected of him. It was almost as if someone did not want anyone to have an accurate idea of the condition of the so-called 'Third Child'.

"What makes anyone think this won't end up like Jet Alone?" Shinji asked, preventing Roy from voicing his thoughts.

"Well, for starters, these things are going to have human pilots. Next, we don't really know it will be effective, we're just hoping. Considering some of the long-term plans for Robotechnology, it's going to be really embarrassing if the Angels can shrug it off like everything else."

"Robotechnology?" Shinji queried.

"That's what it's being called. You'll have to ask Dr. Lang why."

A brief moment of silence followed before Roy decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"So, you going to tell me what's really on your mind?"

Shinji's gaze quickly returned to his feet, embarrassed that he could be read so easily.

"I'm just thinking about my friends and the last time we got together and tried to enjoy ourselves."

"Don't tell me a young go-getter like yourself lacks for a social life?" Roy joked.

"It's just that…"

"_This is a surprise," Misato said after Shinji opened the door to reveal the presence of Rei Ayanami._

"_I apologize for my delay in responding to your message, pilot Ikari. I hope I am not intruding."_

"_No, of course not!" Shinji sputtered._

"_What's Wondergirl doing here?" Asuka asked._

"_Shinji invited her," Kensuke responded between mouthfuls._

"_I didn't think you were coming," Shinji said. "There was no answer when we tried calling you."_

"_I was unable to answer due to my preoccupation with tending my injury."_

"_Injury? What happened to you?"_

_Rei lifted her hand in response._

"_I cut myself while disposing of broken glass. It should heal within a few days."_

"_Never figured you for a klutz, Wondergirl," Asuka taunted._

"_I didn't know you were smart enough to 'figure' anything," Toji snapped._

"_What was that, stooge!' Asuka snarled._

"_Ah, let me get you something to eat," Shinji said, in an attempt to ignore the pending verbal crossfire between his friend and his fellow pilot. He quickly made his way to the kitchen and grabbed the only remaining untouched dish (which ostensibly would have been his) and delivered it to the blue-haired girl._

"_Here. It should still be warm," Shinji offered._

"_Thank you."_

"_You're always the gentleman, Shinji," Misato teased._

"_He just knows how to treat women, am I right kid?" Roy joked. The remarks from the two of them were enough to make a slight blush appear on the boy's face._

_For the next hour, aside from one other exchange between the First and Third Children, conversation consisted of nothing more than idle chatter with nothing said that might betray the fact that all present in the room had some connection to events that had and would rock the Earth. Instead, there was the simple camaraderie of people coming together to enjoy each other's company before one of their number departed for what was hoped to be a brief trip. Even Rei seemed to be enjoying herself, in her own personal and distant sort of way. After a time, when the uneaten remnants of the meal had gotten cold, Roy informed the party that it was time for he and Shinji to take their leave, lest they miss both the proverbial and literal boat._

"_I can't believe they picked you as the one to test," Asuka grumbled, following Shinji into his room as he picked up items needed for the trip._

"_They, uh, probably just figured that I was the one you could do without, in case an Angel attacked," Shinji offered as an explanation, having earlier decided that telling her the truth would only cause unneeded grief._

"_Hmph, I suppose you're right," Asuka responded, apparently content._

_Shinji, meanwhile, had his attention distracted by a certain military commander, who was observing the two with a wry smile. He mouthed what looked like the words 'give it to her' and the boy silently chided himself for allowing the man to talk him into a suicidal action._

"Shinji_," Roy had told him earlier, while Toji and Kensuke were distracted, "_women are the greatest thing on the face of this Earth. But they are also very hard to understand, which is why it's best to simply make the gesture and give her time to dwell on it. So, here's what you need to do for a peace offerining_…"_

_Said peace offering was in Shinji's hand while his back was to the temperamental German. It was small, in a miniature gift box with a bow wrapped around it. Amazing that such a little thing could symbolize the possibility of great pain._

"_Are you even listening to me, baka?" _

"_Um, I'm sorry Asuka, but what was that?" Shinji stammered._

"_God, you're hopeless. I don't know why I even bother."_

"_Well, I'd like to make it up to you, so – here." Shinji managed to get his arm forward into the position that would allow the girl to see his gift._

"_What is this?"_

"_It's a, well, it's a gift." The boy's face was well on its way to becoming a deep red as he said this._

"_You got me a gift?" Asuka said in disbelief._

"_It was Roy's idea, actually," Shinji explained and immediately regretted it._

"_I see. So, you only got me something because _Commander Fokker_ told you to, is that it?" Asuka's voice had a very dangerous tone to it._

"_Well, kind of, but I-" Shinji's attempt at justification was cut short by Asuka's fist making contact with his chest._

"_Baka Shinji!"_

_Deciding that now would be the best time to make an exit, Shinji grabbed his suitcase and bolted in the direction of the door._

"…things never seem to go right for me. Whenever something good is about to happen, it's always messed up." The Third Child explained as he and Roy looked out at the horizon, now almost completely dark.

"You worry too much for someone your age. Loosen up. Enjoy life. And remember – once you hit bottom, you can only go up."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Just keep track of my sage advice and you'll be on top of things in no time."

Shinji could not help but smile at that last comment and the two returned their attention to the horizon and the great unknown it represented. It was something that had inspired everyone from poets to pirates to ponder the deeper mysteries and greater meaning of the cosmic confluence called life.

"Roy, what you said about hitting bottom – did you think of that?"

"Nope, I stole it."

000

Shinji was below decks in the flight simulator Roy had pressured him into trying out when he received word that the Prometheus was ready to dock with Macross Island. As a result of this, he did not actually see the tiny bit of land located in the middle of the Pacific until he had already left the ship and was standing on it. Since it was clearly visible from the port, that was where the Third Child gained his first viewing of the great treasure of the Robotech Defense Force. It was huge, larger than anything he had ever seen before. It looked as though its length took up half the island and, though he could not be sure, it seemed to be resting on massive platforms rather than directly laying on the ground. His mind trying to process this new development, Shinji could only stutter a mangled parody of a sentence.

"That…is that…that is…"

"The SDF-1. Humanity's first ship capable of faster than light travel." Roy supplied, a wide grin on his face. "Yes, it is an honest-to-god spaceship. Well, space fortress, actually. Come on, we don't want to keep Captain Gloval waiting."

Lead along by his friend, Shinji could not stop looking at the immense battle fortress, a million questions running through his mind. Who built it? Why? Why was it being kept such a tight secret? And this city – who was living here? Soldiers? If not, how could they have kept word from getting out? One thing Shinji was certain of: this was just about the last thing he expected to find when Roy whisked him away a few days ago.

Before long, he found himself near a hangar located right next to the massive metal behemoth. The trip through the city was spent by Shinji in something of a daze, not quite believing how normal everything seemed, a sharp contrast to the looming abnormality visible to all. Waiting for him was a mustachioed man dressed in a blue uniform with a white hat. Roy saluted the man after approaching with Shinji.

"Captain Gloval."

"Welcome back, Commander Fokker," the man said as he returned the salute. "And this must be Pilot Shinji Ikari."

"H-hello, sir."

"I must say, I've been looking forward to meeting you. It's not every 15-year-old boy who can pilot a large mecha into combat.

"N-no sir."

"Now, don't be afraid to look up, son. You'll be running into things if you don't"

"Sorry, sir."

"Captain Gloval."

The command came from one of two men Shinji had never seen before. The speaker was dressed in a uniform similar to the Captain's, while the other was a rotund figure wearing a brown uniform with more decorations than were probably necessary for regular dress.

"If you'll excuse me," Gloval said before heading over to join the two men, leaving Shinji fealing like a complete and total idiot.

"Relax," Roy said. "Just remember – you're here because you deserve to be."

Shinji took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, then followed Rod into the hangar. There, lying on its back was Unit-01. Even though he had piloted it for months now, the Eva still gave the Third Child an unsettling feeling whenever he looked at it. The events involving the Twelfth Angel certainly had done nothing to raise his opinion of the beast.

"Be careful when setting it upright – I don't want anything to impair our ability to perform diagnostics," a German-accented voice ordered.

"Shinji, may I introduce Dr. Emil Lang, our resident mad scientist and the man responsible for the vast wonders of Robotechnology." Roy said as he motioned to the scientist.

"Eh? Oh, Commander Fokker. Now is not a good time for whatever it is you want. I'm busy with - Osmund, kontrollieren jene Anschlüsse doppelt!"

"Come on, doc. Don't you want to meet the pilot of the infamous Unit-01?"

Lang certainly took notice of that last remark, as he suddenly regarded Shinji with an expression the boy could not quite decipher.

"Shinji Ikari, I take it?" Lang asked, though it was not really a question.

"Yes."

"You are Gendo Ikari's son, are you not?" Again, it was not really a question.

"Yes, I am," Shinji somewhat nervously admitted.

"Tell me, how much do you know about the Evangelions?" There was a look in the man's eye that made Shinji very uncomfortable.

"I don't really know anything about them. I just pilot when I have to."

"Surely you must have had some interest in their attributes and origins? What pilot would not want to know about the vehicle he is assigned to take into combat?"

"I never wanted to know more about them. I don't like them." Judging from the doctor's expression, that was not the answer he was expecting.

"Hm. Any particular reason why?"

"They're…there's something not right about them."

Shinji was no longer looking at Lang, but Unit-01 instead. He was not entirely sure why he gave that answer. Both the scientist and Roy realized that the conversation had veered into unexpected territory, the kind that was best left unexplored until better arrangements could be made. The fighter pilot was the one to put this to words.

"Come on kid, I'll show you to your quarters."

Commander Fokker led the youth away while Dr. Lang refocused his attention on the Eva. He had already decided to speak again with the son of Gendo Ikari on the subject of the Evangelions. The boy knew _something_ of interest about them, and thus Zeppelin's death, even if he did not realize it.

Observing everything, reacting to nothing, Unit-01 remained silent.

000

It was mid-afternoon of the next day that Roy asked Shinji to meet him on the airstrip in front of the SDF-1. He had been somewhat reluctant, instead wanting to take in the various sights and sounds of Macross City, but the man had insisted, claiming that what he had in mind "would be good for your temperament" and he was clearly not about to take a 'no' for an answer. This is why the two of them were standing next to a jet with a design that seemed subtly different to the kind Shinji expected from fighters. The elder man put an arm around the boy.

"Kid, how would you like to take this thing out for a spin?"

"What?"

"Come on, it'll be fun. It's always a great way to relieve tension"

"But, I don't know how to pilot one of these things!"

"You've logged time in the simulator, and personally I think that the computer is a little rough on you. It's easy, and I'll be right there with you to talk you through it. If you can pilot an Eva, you can pilot one of these."

"Roy, I can't do it."

"Sure you can. These babies are made to be user-friendly and foolproof."

"But…"

"No buts. Come on, live a little. It's not every day someone hands you the keys to a cutting-edge piece of military hardware."

Shinji looked at the fighter, a worried expression on his face, then turned back to Roy and let out a small sigh of acquiescence. The veteran smiled and climbed up the ladder to place himself in the rear seat. Letting out another sigh, Shinji followed and plopped into the front seat, where he found a helmet waiting for him. He tossed a curious glance back at the other occupant.

"Standard RDF issue. Better put it on if you're going to fly," Roy jokingly suggested. Shinji shrugged and put it on.

"Aright kid, you are in a VF-1D Trainer. As you can tell from the name, we use these to train pilots in the basics of flight and combat. It's not very fast or powerful, which makes it perfect for rookies like you."

"Gee, thanks."

"Heh. Show me what you've got and maybe I'll let you take one of the better models up in the air. Now, here's what you do to get her started…"

Shinji calmly listened and obeyed as Roy told him what buttons to push and which switches to pull. Very quickly, the dashboard in front of him came to life with a low hum and some blinking lights.

"Um, what are those three levers? The ones marked 'B', 'G' and 'F'?"

"Just ignore those. They don't have anything to do with our little jaunt."

After a few more instructions, the aft jets came to life in a burst of flame and propelled the aircraft forward. Shinji felt his heart stop.

"Okay, you're getting near the lift-off point, so start pulling up on the stick. Yep, that's right, keep going."

For the Third Child, there was the indescribable feeling that comes from realizing that you are suddenly no longer on the ground due to the fact that the bits of machinery around you have allowed for the brief ability to show that man need not have been born with wings to fly – he just had to slap an engine between them first. It was amazing.

"You're doing great," Roy complimented. "We've reached a good altitude, so level off."

The rookie pilot did as he was told, firmly moving the control stick in a downward motion in order to put a stop to his ascent. He was surprised by a momentary pang of disappointment – something in him did not want to stop. Instead, it wanted him to keep going higher and higher, leaving behind the toil and woe waiting for him on the surface, forsaking it for the clear blue sky that seemed so open and inviting, with nary a desire to heap scorn or heartbreak upon his already weary shoulders. Alas, this was not to be, and the tired young man would have to settle for skirting the edges of that Promised Land. A small consolation, to be sure, but perhaps it was better than not being able to see it at all. Perhaps.

"Thank you, Roy," Shinji said as he moved the aircraft into a turn so that it would not venture too far from its south Pacific home.

"I told you it relieves tension, didn't I? Maybe this well get you to listen to me more when I try and get you to relax."

"I didn't expect it to be like this."

"Kid, I've only known you for a few days, but I can already tell you're wound tighter than most hardened combat veterans. If you don't let go once in awhile, something in bound to shap."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I certainly hope so. Life's too short to spend it as a walking emotional breakdown. Now, let's try a few maneuvers and see just how much fun we can wrangle out of this thing before we have to set back down. First bit of testing is tomorrow."

The two spent the remaining daylight hours in the skies above Macross Island as Shinji gradually gained a better understanding of the aircraft he was piloting. As far as his instructor was concerned, the boy picked up the basics very quickly, displaying a natural talent for it. Part of the RDF squadron leader wanted to shake its head in dismay – good pilots were going to be needed and the boy already had quite a bit of experience piloting large mecha into combat. Pushing such thoughts to the wayside, Roy informed Shinji that it was time to put the craft back down. Fighting back feelings of reluctance and anxiety about properly landing, the rookie fighter pilot managed to guide his metal shell to Earth with nary a scratch. Until the hour that his head made contact with the pillow on his bed the boy's thoughts were filled with memories of that fabled wide blue yonder.

000

It was slightly cloudy when Shinji awoke the next morning. The sky continued to darken for the next few hours, and he dared hope that whatever tests (Roy had apologetically stated that he was not to know what they entailed until the actual appointed time) might be cancelled due to inclement weather. His feeble hopes were dashed when the clouds parted and the sun began to shine brightly across the entirety of Macross Island. Thus it was that Shinji Ikari, the Third Child and Pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 found himself inside his designated Eva and waiting on the edge of a mock-up cityscape located on the far side of the island. Silently, the pilot had to admit that it was a decent forgery – buildings were roughly in scale with his Eva, streets appropriately wide (though not paved). Obviously, whoever ordered this built expected to intercept Eva-size opponents in a populated area. A sickening feeling crept through his stomach at the thought.

"You read me, kid?" Roy's voice asked over the comm..

"Loud and clear."

"I'm turning this over to Captain Gloval. He'll give you the heads up on what's expected."

"Understood."

Inside the command bunker located on the other side of the false city, Roy took a step back, coming shoulder-to-shoulder with Admiral Donald Hayes and Colonel Anatole Leonard. The former appeared nonchalant while the latter could not suppress a satisfied grin.

"Pilot Ikari, this is Captain Gloval. If you will direct your attention to your right, you will see you opponent for this wargame."

Shinji did so and found himself looking at something he should have expected, but did not: a large mecha. It was not as tall as the Eva, coming in at what a rough guess figured as about ¾ the height and walking rather slowly. Instead of complete arms it had a lengthy cannon attached to the 'elbow joint'.

"This is the MBR-04-Mk VI Destroid Tomahawk. Your mission is to neutralize it using the non-lethal weaponry provided to you. The Tomahawk will take position in the area and, after I give the signal, you will pursue. The exercise ends when either of you makes a confirmed kill shot. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Shinji answered.

"Very good. Corporal Akins, you may enter the combat zone."

"Yes sir," the Destroid pilot said.

Shinji felt his hands start to sweat. Gloval said the weaponry used would be non-lethal, but could he trust that would hold true? The last thing he needed was for someone else to be hurt because of him. Gloval's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Corporal Akins is in position, Pilot Ikari. I wish the both of you luck."

Taking a deep breath, Shinji picked up the rifle left for him and mad his way into the false city. The beating of his heart was as that of a large drum, steadily counting down to impending doom. Each step felt as though it would trigger a sudden surprise attack. He did not know why he was so afraid – this was only a training exercise, to test both the Destroid and the Eva. If he failed, well, it would not be the first time. He could just hand his head low, go home, and do his best to forget it ever happened.

"The boy seems nervous," Gloval observed, watching the monitor screen in front of him.

"He's fine," Roy said. "Just watch. The kid will perform with flying colors."

"You've got a lot of confidence in him, Commander," Admiral Hayes said.

"I've checked his files. He's taken down far worse than a Tomahawk."

"Come now, Commander Fokker. You're obviously overestimating his capabilities," Colonel Leonard chided. "The Tomahawk has far superior firepower and targeting systems, not to mention that it is piloted by a fully-trained soldier. The best the boy can hope for is a protracted stalemate."

Roy chose not to respond, merely rolling his eyes as he returned his attention to the viewscreen. Leonard had made a point of being very un-subtle about his contempt for the Evangelions and NERV as a whole. Rumor had it these tests were going to be his way of delivering a personal 'screw you' to Gendo Ikari. While not one to put much stock in low-deck gossip, Roy had to admit that it would explain why the Colonel had insisted on having _Shinji_ pilot and squashing any notion of trying to substitute the 'Dummy Plug' system for the tests.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned boy was no nearing the heart of the non-city, his finger on the trigger of a raised rifle. Where was the Destroid? Circling behind him, trying to shoot him in the back? Or was it lying it wait, counting the minutes until he stepped into its sights? In the back of his mind, Shinji simply wished his opponent would pop out from behind a corner, establish a shot, and get it all over with. Slowly, step by step, Unit-01 strode forward, waiting. How many minutes had passed? Five? Five million? Did it matter? It seemed impossible to tell. The Eva continued to step forward.

And then – something. A shadow? Moving from behind the next –

Unit-01 dived to its right, just in time to avoid a stream of energy beams aimed right at its midsection. The landscape was not nearly so lucky.

"What the hell?" Roy exclaimed. "Captain, those are supposed to be low-grade training beams!"

"There must have been a mistake with the armaments. I'll put a stop to this at once," Gloval said.

"No, you're not Captain," Leonard barked. "The only way we can effectively gauge the potency of Reflex weaponry is through live-fire trials. We already know that everything else will not so much as slow and Angel down."

"Dammit, that kid is linked to the Eva! If it gets injured, so will he!" Roy yelled.

"An acceptable risk," the Colonel responded.

"Colonel Leonard, _I_ have jurisdiction over all Macross Island projects and operations and _I_ decide what constitutes acceptable risks. This exercise is over." Gloval stated.

"The exercise will continue, Captain," Admiral Hayes said.

"Admiral-" Gloval started to protest, but was cut short.

"Colonel Leonard is correct. The only way to accurately judge our new weaponry systems is through live-fire testing. Medical personnel are standing by should anything go wrong, but the exercise will continue."

Gloval set his jaw, wanting to say more, but knowing it would be futile. Roy looked ready to commit murder.

Unaware of the conflict in the command bunker, Shinji was having trouble forming coherent thoughts. The best he could do were variations of 'run' and 'avoid'. He had dropped the rifle when one of the buildings came close to falling directly on him, which left him feeling all the more helpless. All he could do was move, but the Tomahawk was sure to be –

Wait. It was still just standing there, rotating the waist rather than trying to follow. Why wasn't it coming after him? Maybe it couldn't. Maybe…

In a sudden shift, Unit-01 leaped to the top of the nearest 'building'. The structure immediately started to collapse under the mecha's weight, but that was fine. He only needed a few seconds. Making another leap, the Eva soared above the Destroid and landed right behind it just as the collapsing building fell forward, distracting the opposing pilot long enough for Shinji to place his pistol right next to the Destroid's back.

"I believe that counts as a decisive move. Congratulations, Pilot Ikari," Gloval's voice proclaimed over the comm.

_Wait, is that it? I won? Just like that?_

Shinji could not believe it. The test was over, and he had passed, and quite handily at that. His mind kept telling him that there must have been some sort of mistake.

"Great job, kid," Roy complimented. "Let's get you out of there and grab a celebratory meal. In fact, we'll grab two."

A wide grin on his face, the Commander turned to the fuming Colonel Leonard.

"That was quite the protracted stalemate. Longest couple minutes of their lives, I'm sure."

Leonard did not respond. He simply turned and left the room, his mind already at work.

000

After exiting the entry plug, Shinji felt himself enter into something of a confused daze. The previous events still had yet to completely register with his mind, which provided the cause for this abnormal emotional state. Owing to this, he was surprisingly mute during the first of the two meals Roy had promised and this fact did not go unnoticed by the elder pilot, who naturally took the opportunity to indulge in some ribbing and a few jokes at Shinji's expense. These had the effect of briefly snapping the boy back to reality, as they were quite funny, but he soon re-entered his previous state once everything was said and done. Still, he was lucid enough to clearly recall promising Roy that they would meet up later, when the squadron leader and his girlfriend Claudia would provide dinner.

This became the reason why Shinji was making his way through the corridors of the SDF-1 that evening, looking for the quarters of one Claudia Grant. After a few twists and turns, he finally felt he was on the right track when a frustrated shout grabbed his attention.

"Oh no!"

Swiftly turning around, Shinji found that the exclamation emanated from a raven-haired girl in uniform who was currently trying to collect various pieces of paper strewn about the hallway.

"Let me help with that," Shinji said once he rushed over.

"Can't believe I'm so clumsy…" the girl muttered. A minute passed as the two recovered the disorganized documents.

"That looks like all of it," Shinji remarked as he handed her the last batch.

"Thanks. It's my own stupid fault for being late. I'll never get these to Commander Fokker with time to report for duty," she replied.

"Well, I'm on my way to see him right now. I could take them."

"Would you? Oh, you're a life saver." She handed him the bundle. "I haven't seen you around before. Just transfer in?"

"Um, no. Well, sort of. I was brought here to participate in some tests."

"You're the Evangelion pilot! Shinji Ikari, right?" He nodded in affirmation. "I'm Kim. Kim Young, one the bridge crew. Everyone's talking about how you humiliated that Tomahawk today."

"Er, well, it wasn't much. I mean…"

"Modest. That's a nice change from the usual cowboy type around here. Anyway, I have to run. Thank you for your help. Hopefully I'll see you around more often." She flashed him a smile and was off, leaving the Third Child feeling a familiar daze set over him. Somehow, he made his way to Ms. Grant's room, where he found dinner already on the table.

"You know, kid, if you wanted to bring gifts, you should have just gone with a bottle of wine," Roy joke as he took the stack from Shinji's arms.

"I, uh, ran into a girl on her way to deliver these and offered to take them."

"You're right, Roy, he is the consummate gentleman. Unlike you," Claudia joked.

Dinner was composed of what Commander Fokker referred to as 'his favorite girl's Famous Pineapple Salad'. There was plenty of it, which proved to be a stroke of luck for Shinji, as he quickly found it to be quite the enjoyable dish. Conversation centered on work, for the most part. Roy regaled the other two with stories about his flying exploits while Claudia interjected every so often to inform their guest about what _really_ happened. It was inevitable that questions regarding Shinji's time with NERV would be raised.

"I was just summoned. Years of silence and then one word – 'come'."

"That was it?" Claudia asked. Shinji nodded.

"When I arrived in Tokyo-3, the city was deserted. I didn't have any idea what was going on. All I did have was a photo of the person I was supposed to meet. Then, I found out why no one was around."

"What happened?"

"An Angel started to attack the city."

"Your father never gave you any warning?" Roy asked.

"No."

"So what happened next?" Claudia asked.

"Misato showed up, just as everything was falling apart. She told me to get in the car and then sped off towards NERV HQ."

Roy leaned back in his chair, thinking. What could Gendo Ikari have been trying to achieve, putting his son in danger like that? For that matter, why would he want the kid to pilot, but only spring it on the child at the last minute? It didn't make sense.

"…told me to pilot," Shinji continued, while Roy returned his attention to the story.

"And you said yes?" Claudia was hanging on every word.

"I said 'no'. I just…it was happening too fast. I couldn't think, I didn't know what to do."

"What made you change your mind?" Roy asked. Shinji's face went pallid.

"Rei. He carted her out in front of me on a stretcher, covered in bandages. He told me if I would not pilot, she would."

"She was your age?" Shinji nodded in response to Claudia's question.

"A fourteen-year-old girl, half dead, barely able to move."

Roy grimaced, not really listening as Shinji finished relating the events that followed. He had heard stories about the manipulative ways of the NERV Commander, but figured them for the usual low-deck grumblings. To hear it from the man's own son put things in a completely different light. Taking into account everything the boy had said, he could not help but wonder about some of the other stories he had heard, stories that, if regarded as true, made him very reluctant to allow Shinji anywhere near his father. For Roy Fokker, a man who regarded life as something to be taken straight-forwardly and with a laugh, such dirty tricks and exploitations were anathema.

After the meal was finished and Shinji departed, Roy began looking over all available data on NERV, including the curiously sparse personnel files. Yet, for all his misgivings, there was little he could actually do. This was a matter outside RDF jurisdiction. He had no authority over NERV's operating procedure and thus how it treated those who worked for it. For a long hour he contemplated the situation, examining it as he would any combat engagement, before finally taking out a piece of paper and beginning to write.

000

When he found himself once again inside Unit-01 and standing on the edge of the mock-up city, Shinji felt a great deal less trepidation than the last time. It may have been due to the fact that his quick victory of several days prior had left him with a great sense of confidence (always rare for him). Alternatively, it may have been that the continued flying sessions with Roy had actually proven to be relaxing, as the man had promised. Naturally, there was the possibility that a combination of the previously-mentioned circumstances provided the basis for his relatively buoyant emotional state. As he looked over the test area that retained all the markings of his previous visit, the voice of Captain Gloval came over the comm.

"Pilot Ikari, this test will be slightly different from the first. This time, you will take up position inside the test area and wait for the combatant to come to you."

"Understood. Um, Captain? Will it be another Destroid?"

"No. Due to your performance against the Tomahawk, the remaining scheduled Destroid tests have been shelved."

Gloval did not see the murderous look on Colonel Leonard's face. He continued:

"Instead, it has been decided to gauge the Evangelion's capabilities against a far more maneuverable craft."

Shinji was already inside the cityscape when he heard an aircraft passing overhead. For a moment, he thought about whatever it was that had prevented Roy from being in the command bunker this time. His friend had seemed unusually sullen when informing him. Then, the Eva pilot received the latest in the series of surprises that had been dropped at his feet since arriving on Macross Island – the jet _transformed_ into a humanoid robot and landed on its feet several blocks ahead of him.

"This is the Veritech VF-1S, your opponent for this test," Gloval informed Shinji. "As before, the exercise ends when either of you gains a confirmed disabling shot on the other. Shinji, be aware that while you will be armed with non-lethal ordnance, the Veritech is using live ammunition."

"What?"

"I'm afraid I have my orders," Gloval apologized, deciding against directing an angry glare at the observing Colonel. "The Veritech pilot will make every effort to prevent injury, and medical teams are ready to act on a moment's notice."

Somehow, Shinji did not feel reassured by the Captain, but saw nothing to do about it now. Besides, it was not as if they _really_ knew this 'Reflex weaponry' could harm an Eva. Nothing less than a N2bomb could hope to penetrate an extended AT field. He had nothing to worry about. Really.

"Move into positions," Gloval ordered.

Shinji raised his rifle. The Veritech did the same.

"Begin."

Opting to err on the side of discretion, Shinji vaulted Unit-01 down the left street, his rifle blazing in the hope that it might 'hit' something. Hearing nothing, he peeked around the corner to see that the mecha was gone. Feet rooted to the spot, Shinji looked around, hoping for some clue to his foe's location. Such a clue came when the building he was hiding behind exploded, sending pieces of rubble everywhere. Through the haze, the Veritech was barely visible, but Shinji did not wait to get a clear look. Instead, he made another mad vault, this time to the top of a building in the hopes of ending this fight as quickly as the previous. To his surprise, his opponent transformed again, this time looking like a jet with legs as it rushed forward.

"Oh, come on." Shinji pleaded.

Diving behind the nearest building, the Third Child could hear the unmistakable sound of a large amount of missiles being loosed on a target. His worst fears were made manifest when the building providing cover was suddenly ventilated by the successive ordnance onslaught. Desperately trying to regain some measure of control, the pilot of Unit-01 opted for a strategy that consisted of running forward with guns blazing. The Veritech responded similarly and darted right under its opponent's line of fire.

Shinji loosed a frustrated sigh and spun around, hoping to catch the Veritech off-guard. Unfortunately, the enemy mecha was far too quick for the Eva and had already positioned itself out of range and reconfigured itself back to its humanoid form. Not even thinking about aiming, Shinji raised his rifle again to fire off several rounds, which the Veritech easily avoided. For the first time, the question of the identity of the opposing pilot popped into Shinji's mind – whoever it was, he was good. The longer this lasted, the more likely it was that the Veritech would outmaneuver him. The Eva charged forward once more and the transformable mecha again dodged and watched as Unit-01 plowed into a nearby building, causing it to crumble. Inside, Shinji winced as he tried to regain his footing, knowing that his current situation left him wide open to attack.

"Maneuverability," Admiral Hayes said, inside the bunker.

"Sir?" Gloval asked.

"The Veritech is performing well because of its maneuverability. It appears that modeling the Destroids for heavy firepower over maneuverability may have been a mistake, explaining its failure."

"That is one possible explanation," Colonel Leonard grumbled. "However, it does not mean that Destroids would not dominate large-scale engagements at range."

"Maybe," the Admiral responded, turning his attention back to the fight.

Shinji, meanwhile, was trying everything he could think of, but to no avail. Having discarded the rifle in favor of a pistol, he Eva pilot had attempted everything short of a song and dance in order to get the enemy to stand still long enough for him to get a clear shot. Yet, as the battle wore on and on, all he had managed to do was level the surrounding landscape. The original engagement zone resembled something akin to an impact crater and the outlying area did not look much better. Every time Shinji made a move he hoped would shift the tide of battle, the Veritech acted accordingly. A suspicion was growing in the back of the boy's mind that he was being toyed with.

Deciding it was time to go for broke, Shinji hurled Unit-01 against the building next to him, pushing it over and forcing his opponent to 'jump' back to avoid getting hit. Ripping off the side of another building, he used it as a makeshift shield as he charged his opponent. As the Veritech's gatling cannon tore the barrier to shreds, Shinji tossed it above the mecha, hoping that would force it to stay on the ground, where it would be vulnerable to counterattack. Shinji raised the Eva's AT field, trusting that it would block any incoming fire.

It was a fatal mistake. A sharp pain tore through Shinji's left arm as he realized what had happened. The cannon's attack had passed through the AT field like it was not even there.

"That's enough. Both units, stand down," Gloval ordered.

"I'm glad that's over," a familiar voice said over the comm.

"Roy?" Shinji asked, not believing it.

"Yep. You almost had me a couple times there. I'm impressed."

"You…you were piloting?"

"Yeah. I'll explain everything back at base."

000

It was a few hours later that the Third Child found himself inside the SDF-1, watching a medic wrap a bandage around his arm. His mind was filled with thoughts and possibilities. Why hadn't Roy told him that the two were going to face off? Was the friendship he had shown just an act, a way of judging his vulnerabilities? And the wound on his arm – the mecha's fire had gone right through the AT field. How? And more importantly, what would this mean in relation to his future with NERV and the Evas? Shinji could not help but feel that this island was making a habit of turning his life upside down and promoting rampant confusion.

"Looks like I winged you," Roy said as he entered the room, while the nurse took her cue to leave.

"Yeah, you did," Shinji responded in a neural tone.

"I know what happened out there must have felt like a dirty trick, but it wasn't. Not one from me, anyway."

"What does that mean?"

"The man in charge of the Destroid program is Colonel Leonard, you saw him when we first arrived on the island and he was in the command bunker during both the tests. You pretty much humiliated him last time, so he arranged for us to go at it as a personal 'screw you' to us both." Roy explained. Shinji felt like believing him, but the sting of betrayal still lingered.

"Since you beat me, I'd think he's pretty happy at the moment."

"Hey, you made me work for it. There aren't many veterans who can do that. Which brings me to something I wanted to ask you." Roy's face became serious.

"What?"

"Shinji, the world has gone through quite a few changes in the past couple decades. We had a global Civil War followed by Second Impact followed by the Angels. The thing is, all of that may have just been prologue."

"What are you talking about?"

"No one outside the RDF is supposed to know this yet, but I'm going to tell you. The SDF-1, Shinji, it wasn't built by us. Humanity. We just rebuilt it."

"Wait, _rebuilt_?"

"The SDF-1 crash-landed on Macross Island in 1999, almost at the same time Second Impact occurred. The chaos that followed meant that there was a long delay before anyone could investigate, but when we finally got around to it, we found a genuine alien spaceship that had crashed into Earth's backyard."

Shinji was stunned. The Angels were one thing, but an actual alien spacecraft was another. A ship meant that there had to be builders, which meant that there had to be a population, which meant that any number of a hundred other things could be true. His mind busied itself with trying to take it all in.

"Makes you stop and think, doesn't it? Hard proof that intelligent life exists somewhere out there. Kind of amazing. Everything the RDF uses has some connection to what we reverse-engineered while putting the ship back together, including the Reflex weaponry the Destroids and Veritechs are armed with."

Shinji felt that something was missing. "But why build them? Why not just apply it to what you have now? It can't just be because of the Angels."

"You're right, it wasn't . The Battloids and Destroids were built to be in scale with the SDF-1's original occupants."

"Scale? That would mean…"

"Yep. We're not just dealing with aliens, but giant aliens. Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder, right?"

"Giant. Aliens." For a moment, Shinji wondered if he was the victim of an elaborate and rather cruel prank. Then he remembered why he had been summoned to Tokyo-3 in the first place and decided he was hardly someone to criticize. There was, however, one last question to ask.

"Why are you telling me this? There's nothing I can do."

"That's not quite true. We need pilots, kid. I've brought in as many of my old fighter buddies as I could, watched plenty more new recruits come in, but it's not enough. The aliens are coming, I feel it in my gut. It might not be next week, it might not be next year, but they're coming. When they get here, we need a trained force ready to meet them if they decide to be less than friendly. I want you to be part of that force. I want you to join the Robotech Defense Force."

Shinji felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach. Join the RDF? There were a hundred reasons he could not, including everything from his inexperience with flying to his obligations to NERV. Granted, the latter was something he would not mind leaving behind, but that did not erase the looming threat posed by the Angels.

"Roy, I can't. I can't leave NERV, not with people counting on me to fight the Angels."

"The RDF is going to be a worldwide military force, remember? Now that we know Veritechs can handle an Angel engagement, NERV is going to be absorbed into us. You'll still be defending humanity if you join, but you'll have an army to back you up."

Shinji did not respond to that, looking down to avoid the man's gaze. Roy sensed he was close and decided to move in.

"The skill you've shown with the Eva has been nothing short of impressive and I'm not just talking about what I've seen you do. I've looked through reports of your battles, seen the footage. If you only bring half of that to the RDF, you'll be an Ace faster than I was, not to mention give humanity a little more of a fighting chance when trouble finally drops down on us. You've got a knack for this sort of thing – don't try to deny it. When I take you out flying, you take to it like a duck to water. I know I'm asking a lot, asking you to leave behind the life you've gotten used to, the friends you've made. But I'm not asking you to do this for me. I'm asking you to do this because humanity needs people like you, Shinji. People who can look the insanity of a giant monster, whatever its origin, in the eye and still do their duty. That's really what this is about –duty. The duty I have to you, as someone who recognizes an ability that shouldn't go to waste, but also the duty we both have to humanity. There are billions of people who will look to us to keep them safe, to make sure that sun will come up for them tomorrow. It's going to be a heavy burden, but I know you can bear it for two reasons. The first is that you are a hell of a lot stronger than you ever give yourself credit for. The second is that I and the rest of the RDF will be right there helping you carry the burden. I know you can do it, kid, all you have to do is try."

A heavy silence descended upon the two. Shinji still would not look up at Commander Fokker, making the officer wonder if his impromptu speech had been for nothing. Then, after a period of time that seemed interminable, the boy spoke.

"Can I think about it?"

Roy smiled.

"Naturally. Just let me know what you decide."

Shinji nodded in understanding, the stood up. Still not meeting Roy's eyes, he walked out of the room, towards an unknown destination.

000

"Absolutely not," the stern voice of Captain Henry Gloval announced.

Despite the flat refusal, Roy could not suppress the cocky grin that began to spread across his face. He had neglected to mention to Shinji that entry into the RDF would have to be cleared by the Captain, which the squadron leader had yet to do. In his defense, it was simply because he knew that the outcome of making the request was a foregone conclusion.

"Really, Commander Fokker, you can't be serious. This boy may have some talent, but we can't just sign him up for combat." Gloval's tone was that of a man used to crazed suggestions from a particular subordinate.

"Well, sure, he'd have to pass through basic training first, but he can handle it."

"That's not what I meant, Commander. For one thing, he is too young to pilot a Veritech."

"He's old enough to pilot an Evangelion into combat on several occasions and perform a pretty good job of it. Besides, hasn't Dr. Lang repeatedly stated that it's better to get pilots as young as possible in order to get them used to the new systems? Heck, most of our tech specialists and systems operators are barely college age."

"This boy has yet to actually graduate high school."

We've got one on Macross Island. A correspondence course or the next best thing could be set up. Besides, it's not as if the regular trashings Tokyo-3 receives haven't already put a damper on his education."

"On top of it all is the fact that he is under NERV's command."

"An organization that is going to become a sub-section of the RDF now that we know Veritechs can perform as well as Evas in combat. If anything, we should be thrilled to have someone with actual experience fighting Angels be willing to sign on."

Gloval sighed. He should have known Fokker would have covered his bases before presenting this latest scheme. The man was very aware of how to plot an attack, both in and out of the cockpit.

"You're determined to see this happen, aren't you?" Roy's smile was all the response Gloval needed.

"Trust me, sir, we want this kid on board."

The tired Captain leaned back in his chair, wondering if he shouldn't have just said 'yes' before Roy had finished speaking. It might have saved him a headache.

"Very well. I'll make some calls and get things into motion."

"Thank you, sir. You won't regret this." Roy said as he straightened his posture and saluted in his own particular, slightly sarcastic way. He was almost out the door when the Captain spoke once more.

"There's more to this than simple recruitment." It was a clear statement of recognition.

"Yes, sir," Roy responded. He gathered his thoughts for a moment. "The kid needs this. Desperately. I've looked at his file and it's clear that he's being used. And if just half of what he's told me about NERV's operating procedure is ture, well he just needs to get out of there." _And he can't get far away from his father quickly enough, as far as I'm concerned,_ Roy thought, but did not add.

The two men regarded each other for a moment, dwelling on the pilot's statement. Gloval reached for his pipe.

"Roy, if something happens because of him…"

"It won't. You have my word on that."

Lighting his pipe, Gloval looked his subordinate directly in the eye.

"I hope you're right. Dismissed."

000

Shinji had lost track of the time he had spent in the hangar with Unit-01, simply trying to grasp control of his thoughts. He had become a maelstrom of conflicting emotions, clashing and colliding into each other, each fighting to tame the rest and provide a focus through which the situation could be understood and acted upon. Routinely, his eyes would lock on the Eva's massive form, resting in front of him. Instead of being braced up by a support grid like the one located in the Geofront, the scientists on Macross Island had erected a massive chair for the behemoth to sit in. It had the effect of providing the Eva with an ever more ominous air than usual, giving any and all who viewed it the impression of being judged by nothing less than a Lord Of The Pit, choosing the souls it would consume for all eternity. Under normal conditions, Shinji would only have used this as an excuse to stay further away than usual, his natural dislike only incensed. However, these were not normal circumstances.

Leaning back into the cold metal pillar behind him, the Third Child continued to weigh Roy's offer. A chance to get away from NERV. Normally, he would jump at the chance to leave it all behind and never look back. He had already tried once, only for circumstances to pull him back in. At the time, he had seemed so certain that leaving was the best thing for him, that he simply couldn't pilot anymore. Now, the thought of leaving left a sense of guilt inside him. So much had happened since then: battles, revelations, Asuka... The though of the ever-upset girl caused him to involuntarily flinch as he considered the least of the curses she would see fit to hurl his way if he left. She placed so much on her status as the pilot of Unit-02, to the point that the notion that someone could simply _walk away_ from all that was both insane and disgusting at the same time. But if what Roy said was true, wouldn't she have to anyway? A deep frown formed on his features as he contemplated what she would do.

Deciding not to dwell on it, his thoughts drifted to Rei and what would happen to her. As far as he knew, there was literally nothing for her besides NERV. What would happen to her if (or when) it was shut down? Where would she go? Where _could_ she go? Considering the amount of control his father exerted over her every move, maybe dismantling NERV would be a good thing for her, a way of getting her out into humanity a little more and away from his father.

His father. The object of so much unresolved feeling, the constant tension between complete hatred and a deep, yearning desire for approval. If he joined the RDF, became a part of what would ultimately replace the organization his father had neglected everything else in favor of, there could be no hope of reconciliation between the two. Part of Shinji said, no, _shouted_, that any chance of that was already dead. There was another part, though, which sounded terribly similar to the tearful pleas of a four-year-old boy that begged his to stay. Such pleas had controlled a great deal of his life until now.

Shinji's self-immersion was so complete that he did not realize that someone was speaking to him. It took the physical contact of a hand placed on his shoulder to do that.

"What, what is it?" Shinji asked.

"I asked if you are alright, boy," Dr. Lang replied. He had entered the hangar to run more tests on the Eva in the hope that it would reveal some precious secrets. It was something of a surprise to him to find the Ikari boy there, just sitting. Acting with almost uncharacteristic sympathy, he had approached to see if anything was wrong.

"I'm…I'm fine." Shinji weakly responded.

"You do not look fine, Ikari. Perhaps you should see one of the medics if you are feeling ill."

"I don't feel sick," Shinji half-lied.

"Very well. So, why are you sitting here, alone, in a darkened hangar, in front of something you claim makes you feel uneasy?" The question came off a little harsher than intended, but tact had never been one of Lang's virtues.

"Because I have a decision to make."

"Oh? What kind of decision?"

"The kind I don't want to make."

"Those are a part of life."

"I don't care."

"Silly boy, it doesn't matter if you care or not, you'll still have to make the decision. I would have thought that your father would have taught you that."

It was, perhaps, a little more acidic in tone than Lang normally would have said, but this boy, the son of a man neck deep in whatever machinations SEELE devised, the kind that killed Zeppelin, elicited unusual reactions from the doctor.

"My father never considered me worth his time."

"He seems to think you're worthwhile enough to pilot an Eva. Unit-01 is a marvel of engineering."

"All it does is kill."

"Lang decided to choose his next words carefully, gradually becoming aware that the boy was not what he had expected, namely, an extension of the father.

"It is designed to be a weapon," Lang put forward.

"Innocent people still get hurt because of it. Because of me."

"And what makes you say that?"

Shinji was not sure exactly how to respond, where to begin. One particular failure, a perpetual shadow over a bright spot in his life, came to mind.

"When I first went out in it, I destroyed parts of the city I was supposed to protect. A little girl was injured. She was put in the hospital and still can't walk. I ruined her life. That's just someone I know about. Her brother is my best friend. My best friend, and I crippled his little sister." Shinji's voice almost cracked as he recalled Toji's sister and what she suffered because of him. Even though her brother had become his best friend, a part of him always remembered that they met because of a horrible act on his part.

The scientist was not sure what to say. This was not a boy who could merely shrug off the suffering of others as 'collateral damage' and he was bearing his soul to a man who was, for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger. After giving it some thought, Lang decided to sit down next to Shinji.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. When the boy did not respond, he decided to continue. "The Evas do seem to have a tendency to bring suffering in their wake. It is something I have personally experienced."

Shinji turned his head, looking the man in the eye for the first time.

"Her name was Zeppelin, a firebrand if ever there was one. Always ready to push forward, no matter what the danger. I warned her against getting involved with GEHIRN and the Evas, but she didn't listen. She was always of her own mind on each and every thing, never listening to alternatives unless forced. Perhaps if I had pressed the issue, she would have taken a step back, and be alive today. And now her daughter pilots one of those things."

"Wait, you don't mean Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"I do. It seems as if the Evas are determined to claim the children of their progenitors."

A heavy silence followed as the two contemplated the scientist's last statement, along with the lives lost or destroyed due to the flesh and metal behemoth that sat before them. At that moment, it seemed as if an understanding was reached by the two. Shinji then rose to his feet, and the doctor followed.

"I have to go. Thank you, Dr. Lang, for helping me make a decision."

"It was only common decency. Perhaps we will talk again soon." Lang offered his hand and Shinji took it, briefly shaking before leaving. It did not take him long to reach a particular room aboard the SDF-1.

"Roy? I've made my decision."

000

As she watched Unit-01 slowly descend back into the Geofront, Major Misato Katsuragi could not help but feel a profound sense of relief. They finally had all three Evas backing NERV, thankfully before the next Angel decided to make its grand debut. Now all that remained was to find Shinji, give him a hug, and start teasing him about having a personal 'vacation'. She had expected to see him alongside the Eva when it was brought in. When she had asked where he was, she had been put off and stonewalled. It was more than a little worrying. She had gone to the Vice-Commander to enquire about her charge's whereabouts, thinking (hoping) that he would say Shinji had been sent directly home, rather than to NERV headquarters. All she had gotten was another brush off, with an order to "wait for instructions". Instructions pertaining to what, she did not know and that was more than enough to get her upset.

With the Eva now in place, Misato made up her mind that she was going to get some answers come hell or high water. Before any action could be taken, though, Fuyutsuki approached and handed her a file with several documents in it.

"You are to have the Third Child's possessions packed and read for transport to-"

"Wait, wait a minute. Has something happened to Shinji? Why isn't he here? Is he hurt? And just what are these?" Misato's blood was ready to boil.

"Transfer papers. The Third Child will be remaining on Macross Island. Everything you need to know is in the file." Fuyutsuki answered.

Her first reaction was to think that she had simply misheard the man's words. She was so agitated that she was not hearing things correctly. Then she looked at the documents in her hands and saw the ugly truth. She closed it and began assaulting Fuyutsuki with questions.

Watching everything, reacting to nothing, Unit-01 remained silent.


	3. Party Crashers

Chapter Three: Party Crashers

_As an exercise in the act of military preparation, the build-up in anticipation of what would later be known as the First Robotech War counts as perhaps the most unique in history. Pilots were placed in vehicles that operated quite differently from anything previously used in large-scale military combat and then trained to use them against opponents that would be utilizing completely unknown tactics and equipment. The only thing any pilot could place any trust in was the fact that the enemy combatants would be very large and thus ostensibly easier to hit. Then the enemy arrived and even that belief had to be abandoned._

-Zachary Fox, Jr. _VT: The Men and the Mecha_

At roughly the same time Unit-01 was being lowered into its hold in the Geofront, a message was delivered to every major media outlet on the globe. This message, prepared in the form of a recording, detailed the development of a new technology referred to by its innovators as 'Robotech'. It was then explained that this 'Robotech' was derived by studying an alien spacecraft that had crash-landed on a South Pacific island at roughly the same time as Second Impact. The message closed by saying that an Admiral Donald Hayes would be giving a speech to the UN General Assembly the next day to outline plans to replace all conventional military forces with new Robotech models and that afterwards they should contact designated local UEG officials if they have any questions.

Most considered it a joke of some sort, at least until they began to check with their fellow newsmen and found that each of them had received identical copies of the message delivered by someone who appeared to be a legitimate UEG official. A kind of confusion set in as everyone from moguls to beat reporters debated what should happen next. Some went ahead and ran the story as presented to them, while others reported what may have been sure evidence that mass insanity had set upon the UEG. The average citizen, receiving conflicting information, opted to wait for the promised speech before making up his or her mind, though as always there were extreme exceptions to this.

It came as no real surprise that when Admiral Hayes stepped behind a podium in front of the General Assembly, he was the subject of the most widely-televised event in human history up to that point. Entire cities came to a dead halt in order to see if the stories were true. In a straight-forward, almost gruff sort of way, the Admiral announced that everything stated in the message circulated was completely true. A large monitor located in the center of the room turned on to reveal live images of Captain Gloval and the SDF-1, along with the new 'Veritech' jet fighter, though any mention of the transformation ability was omitted since it had been decided that little detail should not be made public until after first contact had been made with the aliens. Hayes gave a short speech that talked about humanity being on a precipice while using other stock phrases and announced that the official launch of the SDF-1 would occur in 30 days. He then calmly left the room without taking any questions.

Within three hours, the internet's two largest search engines collapsed under the weight of millions of people searching for information relating to 'Robotech', 'Macross Island' and 'aliens'. Riots had broken out in eight largely populated cities, which were swiftly qwelled by police forces given advance warning. Ex-members of the defunct (though still officially considered 'active' by the UEG) Anti-Unification League took the opportunity to once again rail against the UEG, including one young man whose parents and distant cousin operated a Chinese restaurant on Macross Island.

In the week following the announcement, life largely settled back into its usual patterns, though a sense of anticipation was clearly in the air. However, one group of individuals provided a marked contrast to the elated mood, especially once word reached them concerning the outcome of certain tests performed on Macross Island. An emergency meeting was called, which no one, not even a particularly ambiguous front man, ignored.

000

"This was not predicted by the Dead Sea Scrolls," a voice emanating from a blue outline announced.

_Which is the reason each and every one of you is starting to panic_, thought Gendo Ikari as he observed those who could be called his 'colleagues', in a rather loose sense. He cold not help but liken SEELE to a beehive that had been pelted with large rocks – half of them were trying to assess the damage, while the other half were looking for something to kill. Amazing how such a minor thing like an unpredicted event could produce emotions close to abject terror in such ostensibly powerful individuals. Of course, he could not judge too harshly – on his own list of potential stumbling blocks, an alien space fortress was noticeably absent.

"Obviously," Yellow responded. "What remains before us is deciding the appropriate course of action to take."

"This 'Robotechnology' should be brought under our control. We may find a use for it." Green suggested.

"No. The danger it presents is too great. The battle fortress and everything derived from it must be destroyed." Blue said.

"What of the aliens who are responsible for its construction? We have no means of anticipating any actions they might take. Destroying the space fortress may ultimately do nothing more than rob us of anything to use against them once they arrive." Yellow countered.

"They are ultimately irrelevant to our long-term plans," Blue argued. "The SDF-1, however, is a clear and immediate danger to our goals. The results of the tests performed on Unit-01 should prove that."

Inwardly, Gendo grimaced at that last remark, since it reminded him of the current crisis involving his pilots. The Third Child's defection had left NERV short-handed and removed a potent tool both for use against the Angels and for manipulating his underlings. To further complicate things, Fuyutsuki reported that Unit-03 would soon be ready, meaning he would have to prepare for that situation as well. And, just to top things off, Rei's synch rates had started fluctuating ever since the Third Child left for Macross Island three weeks ago. Sometimes they were up, other times they were down. The only consistency was that there was none from test to test.

"Any action taken against the ship should not come from baseless paranoia. We cannot simply throw away the one source of information we have regarding a force we know nothing about." Yellow stated, continuing the argument with Blue.

"Baseless?! Perhaps you have forgotten the obvious fact that these 'Veritechs' have the ability to render the Evangelions effectively useless. We must-"

"Enough."

Blue's retort was interrupted by the voice Gendo knew belonged to Keel Lorenz, SEELE O1. The realization struck the NERV commander that he had never seen SEELE's upper level so agitated, to the point that its members were ready to heatedly argue like this.

"While there is a great deal that can be learned from this 'Super-Dimensional Fortress', the risk it poses to our operations is too great. It must be destroyed."

Gendo was not surprised. For all their ominous bluster and posing, SEELE was a fairly predictable creature, never countenancing the slightest threat to their existence. Many were no longer among the living because of this, but the end result was that they were gone while SEELE remained.

"The SDF-1 cannot simply be hastily disposed of, however. An example must be made in order to discourage any further pursuit into the knowledge it introduced."

"What do you mean?" Yellow asked.

"On the day of its maiden voyage, an accident will result in the destruction of the fortress, while our agents move to contain any information remaining in the depositories Dr. Lang is sure to have set up. Any trace of 'Robotechnology' will then be scoured from the face of the Earth."

000

For Shinji Ikari, the past several weeks could be summed up in one somewhat contradictory phrase: exhaustingly relaxing. After his loss to Commander Fokker and the Veritech, Colonel Leonard and the rest had apparently lost interest in testing Unit-01 and the Eva spent the rest of its allotted time on the island sitting in a hangar, acting as nothing more than Dr. Lang's personal hobby. Its pilot on the other hand, found himself in the middle of what felt like a veritable whirlwind of events. Apparently Roy had been anticipating Shinji's acceptance of his offer, since the morning after delivering his decision, the boy was now enrolled in the Robotech Academy located on the island.

What followed were the five most grueling weeks of Shinji's life. Basic training was every bit as 'fun' as he expected it to be, with enough push-ups, sit-ups and general exercises to make his arms ready to fall off. What turned out to be his Achilles Heel was arms training. Try as he might, the boy could not aim a gun well enough to earn more than an 'Acceptable' from his instructors. Luckily, his flying simulations went far better, routinely matching and surpassing the requirements set for him. Battloid simulations quickly became his specialty, perhaps due to experiences with the Evas. Guardian mode almost tripped him up, as he initially was unsure when to use it – aerial engagements prompted him to use Fighter mode, while land engagements (which included a couple mock Angel battles) seemed to suit Battloid mode best. Yet, with a few hints from Roy, he easily integrated the combined mode into his fighting style and managed to pass the Veritech piloting qualifications with flying colors. The former Third Child considered it one of his best moments, though it was nothing compared to what came next.

Requirements met and tests passed meant that only one thing remained. And so, clad in the white uniform of a Veritech pilot, Shinji Ikari was called to a meeting hall aboard the SDF-1. There he found Captain Gloval and Commander Fokker waiting for him, the latter wearing a familiar smile on his face. Gloval then held forward a copy of the UEG charter, as adopted by the United Nations after the formation of the world government. Placing his left hand on it and raising his right, Shinji recited the Oath of Allegiance, vowing to uphold the freedoms promised therein and defend the people of Earth from all threats, be they foreign or domestic. After that, only one thing was left to say:

"As the designated representative of UN Spacy and the United Earth Government, it is my privilege to welcome you to the Robotech Defense Force. Congratulations, Corporal Ikari." Gloval said and extended his hand.

"Thank you, sir." Shinji responded, taking the Captain's hand and shaking it, feeling as though he could fly without a plane.

"Captain Gloval, you have a call coming in from Admiral Hayes," Sammie's voice announced over the comm.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen," Gloval said before exiting.

"Congratulations, kid," Roy said as he shook Shinji's hand.

"Thanks."

"I want you to know I'm proud of you. You've already done a heck of a lot in the name of defending humanity and now here you are, ready to do even more. There aren't many who'd be willing to do that. It's something to be proud of."

"I…well, I don't know what to say…" Shinji stammered.

"Actions speak louder than words kid, so you don't need to say anything. Besideds, I know you're going to do right by that uniform."

Shinji felt ten feet tall. For the first time in his life, someone was _proud_ of him, genuinely proud. This was not like the praise he received from killing Angels, something he'd been reluctantly bullied and coerced into doing. This was something he had done because someone asked him, _believed_ in him, and doing it made that person proud. The boy felt sure that this was his finest moment.

The door then opened to reveal the form of Dr. Emil Lang, a slightly shameful look on his face. He approached the two pilots.

"I take it I'm a little late," he said.

"Just missed it," Roy confirmed.

"It seems I owe you an apology, then," Lang stated.

"Don't worry about it," Shinji said.

"Well, I can still offer you my congratulations, however belated," Lang said as he offered his hand. "You've done well, my boy, and come very far."

"Careful doc, the kid's hand has been shaken so much it's liable to fall off." Roy joked.

"Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate that you came here." Shinji and the Robotech scientist had formed an odd friendship in the weeks since their meeting in the hangar. For Shinji, Lang provided a clinical, logical perspective that complimented Roy's devil-may-care philosophy. The doctor, meanwhile, found someone whose youth and heartfelt attitude provided a refreshing change from the grim, paranoid mood that had dominated his adult life.

"The kid and I were just about to grab a bite – you want to come along?" Roy offered.

"I must decline. There is still a great deal to do before the launch next week. I simply wanted to convey my best wishes. Perhaps another time." Lang explained.

"I'm looking forward to it," Shinji responded. Lang made his departure and once again the pilots were alone as they walked down the SDF-1's corridors.

"So, any of your friends going to be at the big celebration?" Roy asked.

"I…don't know," Shinji admitted, his face sullen.

"Aw, come on kid, don't tell me you still haven't contacted them?"

Shinji's only response was to lower his head. In truth, he had written quite a few letters to each of his friends, but they remained in a drawer, unsent. Similarly, on numerous occasions he had picked up a phone to call one of them, but he was unable to bring himself to dial a number, instead just sitting there and listening to the tone. After shaking his head in dismay, Roy spoke:

"Kid, I am giving you your first order to carry out as a member of the Robotech Defense Force: you are to contact at least one of your friends. I don't care if you call, write or use smoke signals – just get in touch. It's only too easy to let distance end friendships and trust me when I say it is something you should avoid."

"Alright Roy, I promise." Shinji said.

"Hey, it's _Lieutenant-Commander Fokker_ now, Corporal." Roy chided before letting out a laugh. "Now, let's get something to eat."

Roy's 'order' occupied Shinji's thoughts for the rest of the day. That evening, after retiring to his quarters, he tried once more to call someone (Misato, Toji, even briefly considering his _father_ in a slight bit of anxiety-induced delirium), but was again stricken by the same paralysis that had prevented earlier efforts at communication. Finally, he opted to write another letter, ostensibly a greeting to Misato, but it soon morphed into a general apology and attempt at justification for his actions to her, along with Asuka and Rei as well. Placing it in an envelope and stamping it, Shinji raced it down to the mail room before he had the chance to change his mind. When he finally lay down on his bed and began drifting off to sleep, the newly-commissioned RDF pilot felt a great swelling of regret over the realization that he should have made contact days ago.

000

_It was a dream. It could not be anything but a dream. The strange landscape, the unfamiliar aquamarine tint of the sky, and the general feeling of unreality all provided ample evidence that the current experience was, in fact, nothing more than a dream. This was fortunate, because if the events in question were _not_ a dream, it would mean something had gone horribly wrong. Yet, there was still cause for concern, due to one simple fact – she did not dream. Al least, not ones such as these._

_Rei crouched down to examine the object in front of her. It was a flower, but of a type she had never seen before. It was a triumvirate, three coming together as one, both in petal formation and general grouping. Such an interesting flower, so strange and yet so familiar to her._

_Standing up, she realized that the field was covered in them, reaching as far as the eye could see. It was a comforting sight, one of life and peace. The Shadow had long passed from this world, this people._

_On the other side of the field was a woman who gestured Rei over to her. Reaching the woman, Rei found that she was regarded by her with – gratitude? Familiarity? Respect? It was hard to tell. The woman motioned as if to direct her attention and then Rei was looking at a green-haired man she had never seen before, yet immediately felt uneasy around. She turned away, ready to tell the woman of her misgivings, when the girl realized that the woman was no longer there. Instead, she was again far away, at the other side of the field._

_Only, there was no longer a field. The flowers were gone. Stolen by the man, no doubt. The woman was sobbing – her land had been defiled and her trust betrayed. Rei wanted to go and comfort her, but realized she could not. Her feet were rooted to the ground._

_Then – a new Shadow. It blotted out the sun and fell over the land, bringing with it unending death and despair. The woman was still sobbing, but the tears were no longer for herself. These tears were for her children, her many, many children whose blood now choked the land. Rei looked at her hands, seeing them covered in the green blood of the mother's children._

_A cry went up as the sobs turned to a moan and then a great roar. The message was clear: this could not be allowed to stand. The woman demanded blood for blood, retribution for the betrayal of trust, defilement of land and death of her children. There could be no other way – what mother would not demand vengeance for the blood of her children?_

_Now, the mother was pointing at Rei, speaking words the girl did not understand. However, there were others who did. The First Child turned around to see seventeen figures, their own features hidden by shadow. All of them responded in the same way to the mother's plea:_

"_Death! Death! Blood for Blood, an Eye for an Eye! Justice only through Blood and Death! Death to the Blasphemer and those who would follow him! Death to Zor and all his Disciples!"_

The nightmare caused Rei Ayanami to bolt upright in her bed. Despite her wish to be well-rested for the next day, she could not get back to sleep.

000

The launch of the SDF-1 was, as expected, a massive media event. The inhabitants of Macross City soon found themselves under siege by a veritable army of reporters and media personalities. A number of celebrities had flown in, hoping to use this historic moment for a career boost. This held especially true regarding the (in)famous Jan Morris, who had been trying anything and everything in order to gain more publicity and this stave off what she considered to be her career downturn. Naturally, this meant that when she set foot on the island, it had been arranged to allow for maximum press coverage. She flashed her smile and gave a little twirl as cameras broadcasted her image to millions of television across the world. However, one viewing household was less than impressed.

"She looks like a blonde-headed mop," Asuka announced.

"You're just jealous because she's the beautiful idol of millions and you're just the Demon from Tokyo-3," Toji snapped back, tilting his head so that he would not have to leave his spot on the couch in order to see her reaction. Asuka responded by smacking him upside his head as she went into her room.

Listening to the exchange while in the kitchen, Hikari Horaki just shook her head as she prepared the bowls of popcorn. While she was glad that Asuka had invited her to watch the launch along with Major Katsuragi and the others, the Class Representative dearly hoped the entire time would not be filled with bickering between her friend and the just-announced Fourth Child. It had been bad enough witnessing the meltdown that had occurred when Asuka first heard the news, though the severity of the incident may have had more to do with the lingering conflict concerning Shinji's departure. Apparently, the situation had been aggravated by a letter that had arrived a few days prior, which was the first word from her former classmate since he left. Personally, Hikari just hoped he was acting for right reasons.

"And so, the eternal struggle continues…" Misato joked as she opened the fridge to grab a cold beer. "Here, hand me one of those."

Hikari presented one of the bowls for the Major to take, leaving two more. The two then returned to the living room and placed the food on the table in front of the television.

"Thank you, Representative Horaki, Major Katsuragi," Rei said, sitting on one of the chairs moved over for the occasion. The First Child had bags under her eyes and Hikari had to wonder if she was sleeping enough.

"Yeah, thanks," Kensuke added as he grabbed a large handful and stuffed it into his mouth. He quickly swallowed and then pointed to the televison. "Hey, the Veritechs are going to start their maneuvers!"

"Is Shinji going to be in one of them?" Hikari wondered aloud.

"Pilot Ikari's letter indicated that he would be flying a Veritech during the celebration, so it is possible," Rei responded.

"Asuka, the show's going to start! If we're lucky, we'll get to see Shinji's television debut!" Misato shouted in the direction of the girl's room.

The Second Child, however, was not entirely sure she wanted to see anything related to the Third and how he ran away from Tokyo-3. Why that incident had been so troubling was something of a mystery to her. After all, who cared if Shinji, the invincible baka, left NERV? It was not as if he was particularly important – _she_ was easily twice the pilot he was. _She_ could easily handle anything he could. _She_ was easily worth five Shinji's in combat. That was probably why the idiot left – he was too much a coward to face her continuing superiority and so he ran to a group trying to replace the Evas. As if anything could! Soon enough, an Angel would show up, trash the RDF, and she would have to step in to save the day. _Then_ watch Shinji beg to come back.

And she would let him, of course, but not before making him realize just what he had walked away from. Subconsciously, she reached over to a drawer and took out a small wrapped box – it was the gift he had given her the night he left. She had never opened it, instead stowing it away with the intention of unwrapping it after he came back. For a few minutes, she ran her fingers over it, such a small thing. Then, almost forcing herself to, she placed it back in its drawer and walked away, arriving just in time to hear the man who had taken Shinji away start talking about "applying human know-how to alien technology."

000

High above Macross Island, Shinji felt oddly tense. Normally, flying was quite relaxing for him. Of course, normally he was not doing so in front of a worldwide audience, when even the slightest mistake he might make would be on display for an entire planet to laugh at. He began pondering why he ever allowed Roy to talk him into being part of the air show for the opening ceremony. There were times the corporal wondered if his superior officer had a secret sadistic streak. Well, there was nothing to do about it now. On cue, Shinji began to descend, mentally chanting his new mantra of '_I musn't screw up, I musn't screw up_', intending to come within the proverbial hair's breadth of another pilot as an example of the precision flying made possible by the Veritechs. The ground rushed to meet him, Shinji pulled up, and then –

_What the?!_

An aircraft passed right through the open space between the planes, only inches away from colliding with either of them. A clear example of skill, but a dangerous one. For a minute, Shinji wondered if this was another of Roy's last-minute pranks. The Commander's voice over the radio quickly dissuaded him of that notion, though.

"Oh no – Rick? Is that you Rick Hunter?" Roy demanded.

Apparently, this had not been planned after all, which meant the pilot of that aircraft was either very good or very crazy or both. If it was someone Roy recognized, the answer might very well be the last on the list. Suddenly, Shinji remembered – wasn't Rick Hunter the name of Roy's 'little brother', the person Roy had wanted to introduce him to, today? If so, Rick certainly knew how to make a first impression. Shinji listened as Roy tried to berate his friend, while the other shrugged it off. The Corporal was ready to ignore it and continue on with the exercise when something caught his attention.

"My men are real pilots, so get out of there before I have my favorite rookie show you up," Roy warned.

"I'm going to have to make you eat those words, Commander. Coming in." Rick responded.

Shinji kept his eye on him as the Veritech squadron ascended, wondering what Hunter had in mind. Then, he saw the fan jet's afterburners light up. The guy was going for a booster climb, one of Roy's favorite moves.

_Okay Shinji, time to pull one off for the RDF. Don't screw this up!_

Hitting his own afterburners, Shinji set his aircraft into a spin while moving upwards. If he did it right, Hunter would have to break off instead of rushing past him as planned. For a minute, the Veritch pilot held his breath. Then, looking outside his cockpit, he glimpsed a welcome sight – Hunter was breaking off, though managing to save face by entering into a spin of his own as he began to head downwards Still, he had done it! The RDF pilot felt it safe to start breathing again.

000

"Whoa, that was cool!" Kensuke exclaimed.

"You think they staged that?" Toji asked.

"Probably," Asuka responded.

Rei was about to voice her disagreement when something stopped her. It was…a feeling, one that made the hair on her neck stand on end and caused her hands to suddenly grip the chair's arms. The feeling instantly became stronger, overwhelming her for the brief amount of time it took for a small Zentraedi fleet to de-fold near Earth's moon.

000

Shinji was on the ground when it happened. He had landed his aircraft to conserve fuel, since there were still more maneuvers he was expected to perform later. In truth, the boy was almost ready to call it a day and get some sleep, but orders were orders and more to the point, he had promised Roy he would do this. Shinji was drinking a bottle of water when he noticed the odd crackle around the front of the SDF-1. When a large energy blast exploded from the ship, he nearly choked himself and managed to spill his drink on his uniform.

"What was that?" he shouted, hoping Roy would appear with an answer. Once that failed, he climbed into the Veritech's cockpit and switched on the radio, figuring that Commander Hayes would make some sort of broadcast soon. Some of the longest minutes of his life passed before an announcement came over the PA system:

"Enemy forces approaching in sector 412!"

000

"Wait, what did he say?!" Misato spouted.

"This is some kind of joke," Toji said, worry creeping into his voice. "It's just another stunt."

"Toji, I don't think this is a stunt," Hikari said.

When the ship had fired its main gun, everyone in the room had been shocked into attention. A kind of obsession came over them as they watched the reporter's camera turn to show that a large chunk of the island had been destroyed by the blast, simply disintegrated. No one even considered turning away from the screen. Now, just as a voice announced an attack, security personnel were ushering the reporters away.

"What is going on?!" Misato demanded.

000

"We are under attack by alien invaders in sector 412. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill. All forces proceed at once in battle formation." Commander Hayes's voice announced over the RDF's internal comm..

"Well, this is why we've been training in the first place," Shinji muttered to himself as the ground crew readied his jet. The boy's hands started to sweat and his heart began to race – this was it. The aliens Roy had told him about were finally here, and it was his job to go out and fight them. Taking a low, deep breath, he tried to calm himself, lower his heart rate. Roy was counting on him, had trusted him to do this right. Now it was time to justify that trust.

"Wolf Team has cleared. Skull Team, prepare for take off," Commander Hayes announced. Shinji gulped.

"Skull Team ready. All right men, this is it – let's go!" Roy said.

"Yeah, this is it." Shinji echoed as the aircraft's engines roared to life. Almost instinctively, the Third Child breathed in deep, then realized he did not need to. He was not inside Unit-01, but a Veritech. And he was not going to fight an Angel, but aliens. Lots of aliens. Misato was not going to be in his ear, directing tactics, just as Asuka was not going to be boasting at his side or Rei providing a calm voice amidst the chaos. He desperately wished that they were going to be there, though.

Pulling up on the controls, Shinji found himself greeted by the sight of that wide blue yonder. Once so inviting, so tempting, it now seemed to offer more death and pain, the very things he had hoped to use it to escape. Perhaps there was no escaping them, and this was his destiny – to always find himself caught in the storm, flailing against destructive forces that he had no control over, that he could only deal with by dispensing even more death than they could. Was such a life worth living?

"Skull squadron, form up on me. Standard attack pattern, boys – let's see what they've got first before trying anything fancy. Shinji, I want you as my wingman on this one, kid." Roy ordered.

"Understood, Skull leader," Shinji acknowledged, moving in to flank the Commander.

"You with me, kid?" Roy asked over a private channel.

"Right here, Roy."

"Ready to kick some extra-terrestrial ass?"

Shinji could not help but chuckle.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Alright. Now, let's show these guys why the worst idea they ever had was to pick a fight with the RDF!"

The tension starting to flee from his body, Shinji banked right to avoid incoming enemy fire. Doubts and self-recrimination would have to wait until after he and his friend came back home in one piece.

000

An ocean away, the occupants of Misato Katsuragi's apartment remained fixed to the television. No one had spoken in several minutes, perhaps acting on some collective, unconscious decision that even the slightest noise could distract them and thus cause them to miss some crucial piece of information. All of them were leaning forward, desperate to receive news and maybe some confirmation that their missing friend was healthy and alive.

Then, the first missiles had hit the ground. The reporter had been trying to get some information out of one of the soldiers when a piece of the airfield next to them exploded. Exclaiming several things that would surely be edited out upon later re-broadcasts, the reporter broke into a run in the direction of the hanger, hoping to find some cover. The camera had several shots of fighters launching, but no actual images of who was attacking. Panicked screams were clearly audible over the voices of those officials vainly trying to impose some order onto the chaos. Who was attacking? Why? What was happening? These questions had not answers, which only increased the despair of those watching. Something was sure to break.

It turned out to be the reporter. She was almost inside the hangar when an unfamiliar sound could be discerned. There was a flash of light, the kind produced by an explosion, and suddenly the images on the television screen turned to static. This was quickly replaced by a local Tokyo-3 anchor, clearly at a loss for words, who urged his audience to stay calm and assured them that everyone was doing their best to re-establish contact with the island.

It was shortly before the anchorman finished speaking that the children became aware of a new sound filling the apartment. This sound turned out to be the voice of Misato Katsuragi as she screamed into her phone, threatening whoever was on the other end with a slow, painful death via means outlawed for centuries if they did not (1) get her up-to-the-minute reports from Macross Island and (2) mobilize the entirety of the UN armed forces to assist the assaulted Robotech Defense Force.

The children, meanwhile, were shell-shocked. Kensuke just leaned forward with his mouth open. Toji had his arms around Hikari, who was holding on to him for dear life. Rei found it to be extremely hard to keep her emotions at their normal, suppressed state while Asuka, who had remained perfectly still and quiet since the SDF-1 had first opened fire, broke her own extended silence by whispering a soft, barely audible word:

"Shinji…"

000

"Break left!"

Corporal Ikari did as his squadron commander instructed, just in time to miss being hit dead on by enemy fire. The tri-thrustered craft that engaged the RDF in the lower atmosphere were proving to be quite problematic. They simply threw themselves against their opponents as though the pilots inside were little more than blood-lusted animals. More than once, Shinji had been threatened by a head-on collision and only barely avoided it. So far, their general strategy appeared to be nothing more complicated than trying to overwhelm the Veritechs through sheer force of numbers. His HUD flashing with a target lock, Shinji pressed the firing control on his joystick, letting loose a stream of lasers that shredded the enemy fighter in front of him.

_What do they want?_ Shinji thought to himself, trying to understand the invaders. There had been no communication from them whatsoever, no warning, no threats, nothing. It seemed nothing less than pure insanity to him, throwing away lives and causing pain needlessly. What could be worth this? Surely there had to be deeper reasoning behind it than just because this happened to be the planet their ship crashed on. Dodging an enemy's pseudo-kamikaze attack, Shinji tried to focus on the matter at hand, namely staying alive.

"This is Skull leader, calling Veritch fighter group," Roy said, his image appearing on the right screen of Shinji's dashboard. "Intercept invaders in zone 42B. Traffic's pretty heavy out here, so break formation, but try to keep each other covered."

Propelling his craft northwest, Shinji hurled his Veritech into the storm, aware of the blue streams of energy streaking overhead, seeking a life to end. The RDF had found itself at a rather classic military disadvantage – the enemy had caught them by surprise and held the proverbial high ground, which meant that in order to get to them, the pilots had to first make their way through the blue death raining down on them. Not the best of situations to be in.

The HUD suddenly blared a warning – one of the aliens had a lock on him. Remembering his training, Shinji started to weave the plane left and right, a zig-zag maneuver long loved by fighter pilots. Naturally, it did not work and the alien remained right on his heels. Continuing to evade, the boy wracked his brain for a solution while trying to remain mindful of the heavy fighting that continued around him. It would be just his luck to get hit by stray fire, perhaps even friendly, because he was too busy worrying about his almost relentless pursuer.

Then the answer hit him like one of Asuka's right hooks (and he could almost hear her shouting 'idiot!'). Pulling the 'B' lever, the Veritech came to an immediate halt as it transformed, causing the alien to pass right in front of him. Shinji did not consciously summon the wry grin that spread across his face, and would have been surprised to see it there as he aimed the Battloid's cannon and fired, reducing his former pursuer to nothing more than a burst of smoke and flame. Well aware that Battloids were not the best choice for aerial engagements in an atmosphere, he switched back to Fighter mode and pushed forward, but not before managing to pick off another craft that made the mistake of darting across his targeting screen a little too slowly.

Soon, the battle began to turn. The aliens, discovering that their nigh-suicidal tactics only made it easier for their enemies to get target locks on them, began to fight a little more defensively. It did not produce an obviously dramatic shift in their fighting, but in the presence of a tactician like Roy Fokker, they may as well have delivered a general announcement stating "This fight's a little tougher than we expected, so we're pulling back," along with a complimentary banner and dance routine.

"They're starting to bunch up. Skull squadron, form up on me, attack pattern alpha. Green squadron, swing around and hit them from their flank. Let's give them a nice squeeze."

Forming up on Roy's right, Shinji joined his friend as they managed to herd the invaders into closer quarters before joining the rest of Skull squadron in loosing a volley of missiles into the group of enemy ships. The fireworks display that followed produced a strange reaction in him and it took a moment for the boy to place it – satisfaction. These beings had come here, threatened him and his friends because of something they had no control of and really was not worth killing over, and he had fought them back, making them run. What made this different from fighting the Angels? To be sure, there had been some satisfaction after destroying them, but nothing like what he felt now. Why?

He saw Roy come up next to him and give a 'thumbs up' which the boy returned, smiles on both their faces. Maybe that was the reason – the same one that gave him so much confidence when he was sworn in. Unlike the battles he fought on behalf of NERV and his father, this was something he had _wanted_ to do. There was no sense of being used for someone else's agenda, no desperate attempt to extract praise from a superior that seemed content to regard him as nothing more than a tool to be used. The men and women of the RDF were like him, fighting to protect their homes and loved ones, with little to no ulterior motives. And Roy – in just a few weeks that man had shown him more compassion and guidance than his father ever did. Such a change was refreshing, to say the least. With the aliens in full retreat, the Veritechs headed back to base.

"This is Skull leader, Veritech Team to SDF-1: Mission completed. We met the enemy air assault and we sent them back where they came from." Roy declared with no small amount of pride. He then addressed the SDF-1 on a closed channel, leaving Shinji to briefly wonder what was going on. Then the Commander issued his orders to the squadron.

"Skull leader to group: you guys head back to Prometheus, I've got some business to take care of in town. Captain Kramer, you take over command."

"Roger, Commander"

Although there was a desire on Shinji's part to tag along with Roy and satiate his curiosity, he knew better. If the Commander had wanted him to come, he would have asked. Besides, he was tired and his Veritech could use the re-fueling and ordnance re-supply. It was not exactly running low, but it was always a good idea to make sure everything was topped out. In formation with the rest of Skull Squadron, Shinji directed his Fighter to the Prometheus.

000

From his view near the other side of the island, SEELE agent Basara looked upon the colossal FUBAR his mission had become. It had been simple enough – infiltrate Macross Island during the celebration, sabotage the ship so that it would explode once it tried to perform its first space fold and perform a quick kidnapping along the way. That latter job was for a target designated "Ikari, Shinji". Apparently, certain members of SEELE felt it would be beneficial to them for that one particular teenager to be off the SDF-1 when the bomb went off. The whys and wherefores did not concern him – such things were beyond his purpose. He existed to carry out SEELE's wishes and nothing more. This philosophy allowed him to live a relatively comfortable life and provided the chance to get around in the world. The small speck of humanity remaining within Basara sometimes marveled at the exotic locales he visited because someone in that location needed to stop breathing. He had performed his job well and came to enjoy it. It was important to enjoy one's work.

Now, for the first time, Basara was faced with the unfortunate situation of an incomplete mission. Perhaps he should have recognized that strange black cloud he saw earlier as an ill omen. The sky had been otherwise sunny and clear save for its amorphous shape, and it had dissipated once one of those new fighter jets passed through it, so he had dismissed it as a quirk of the weather. A mistake, in retrospect.

He had been ready to grab Ikari after the first air show. The target was alone and on the ground, almost waiting for him. Then there had been an announcement that the island was under attack, which caused the target to jump in a plane and fly off. Following that had been an alien invasion, which tore up the landscape quite nicely. It was at that time he had received the call telling him to meet the other agents on the far side of the island and pull out. Basara was unable to explain that he needed more time to grab Ikari.

Still, things were not a total loss – there was still a bomb attached to the ship's fold drives, waiting to go off. What remained for him to do was plan his escape, both from the island and his superiors at SEELE. The former was easy enough, but the latter… It was regrettable, but he had no other choice, since the organization did not tolerate failure on any level. Now, he had to disappear, which was a shame as he would have to visit Morocco on his own dime.

Making his way down to the beach, Basara stood in a spot that would make him plainly visible to the boat he saw approaching. He started to wave at it – and shielded his eyes when it exploded. What happened? There was no one else around and he could not have been followed. The agent's eyes widened when he was several…_things _jump out of the ocean in front of him. The only description his mind could come up with was 'giant metal ostrich minus head and neck'. He turned to run, unaware of the large shadow that descended over him.

"Argh, I stepped on something," Kargan said.

"Count yourself lucky it wasn't a land mine and pay attention!" Belgar scolded before opening a channel to the fleet. "The Recon and Battlepods have landed, Commander. We are ready to attack."

000

The supercarrier Prometheus was just coming into Shinji's line of sight when the barrage rained down. Skull squadron, still relatively high on adrenaline, was almost about to set down and re-equip. Privately, the Third Child hoped that the aerial dogfight was it for the day, now that the initial thrill of victory was startomg to wear off for him. Fighting and killing were not things he had ever derived any particular pleasure from, being contrary to his rather genial tendencies. Today had been only a slight exception and the earlier sense of pride had faded as he started to remember that this was supposed to be a day of happiness and celebration. Spending the remainder of his day resting became more and more appealing with each passing second he dwelt on it. Unfortunately, the boy's hopes for relaxation were brutally dashed.

"Look sharp people, we have death from above!" Captain Kramer barked.

"Aw man, isn't the fight supposed to be over?" Skull eight complained.

"I guess they just couldn't go without looking at out pretty faces any longer," Skull five joked.

"Well, we are the prettiest damn things to ever be in the sky," Skull nine added.

"Cut the chatter," Kramer ordered. "Form back up in standard patterns and swing back around to the SDF-1"

Once again in combat formation, Shinji looked on as the lethal blue rain enveloped Macross City, cutting buildings in half and ripping through the streets, giving them almost the look of Swiss cheese. He desperately hoped that the civilians had managed to make it to the shelters before the bombardment, his heart sinking at the thought of some luckless person getting vaporized. Suddenly, the sky lit up as enemy fire streaked across the battered landscape, directed towards the stationary battle fortress. From his altitude, Shinji could just barely make out the attackers, coming in over the ridge located in the center of the island.

_Should have figured they would send in ground forces_, Shinji thought. The voice of Commander Hayes then broke over the comm.

"This is SDF-1; we are under attack and need immediate support. Assume Guardian configuration."

"Roger SDF-1, coming in. All Veritechs switch to Guardian mode." Captain Kramer ordered.

Fresh adrenaline coursed through Shinji's veins as he pulled the 'G' lever and made his descent into the crumbling battle zone that only a few short hours ago had been the proud beacon of progress for an entire civilization. He let loose a volley of missiles in order to clear a path through a small group of Battlepods that blocked the position he planned to use for a landing area. The VF-1A then shot through the smoke and flame that marked the alien's passing and set its mechanical feet on the ground for the first time that day. The sounds of battle were all around him, and came uncomfortably close when part of the building next to him burst apart.

Immediately shifting to Battloid mode, the boy took cover and readied his cannon. Gritting his teeth, Shinji turned the corner and fired his cannon, hitting one of the Battlepods dead center while the other actually increased its speed towards him. That turned out to be a mistake on its part, since it was now placed close enough for the Veritech to actually _hit it_ with its fists, causing the alien to stagger backwards before being blown away by the pilot's cannon at point-blank range. A second passed before Shinji decided on his next move and shifted back to Guardian mode. Skull nine was currently being hounded by a trio of Battlepods blazing away at the brown Veritech while its occupant desperately tried to avoid them by using the cityscape for cover.

"Skull nine, this is Skull three – do you read me, Collins?"

"I hear you, Skull three."

"Make a right at your next junction and I'll deal with your pursuers."

"Gotcha."

Racing forward, Shinji placed his finger on the trigger, waiting for his HUD to light up with what had quickly become a familiar red light indicating a target lock. Right after Skull nine rounded the corner Shinji told him to, the three enemy craft were there, hoping to bring an end to their hunt. They did, though it was not the one they desired as their last sight became Skull three rushing towards them, right behind a small group of missiles that reduced the aliens to burnt ashes.

"Thanks for the save," Collins said.

"You okay?"

"Well, aside from having a few more grey hairs, I'm good."

A thought flashed across the boy's mind and he put it to words.

"Have you heard anything from Ro-er, Commander Fokker?"

"Not a peep since he headed off into the city earlier."

At that moment, a flaming Battlepod struck the ground barely a block away from the two Veritechs, breaking apart on impact. Corporal Ikari made a decision.

"I'm going to go look for him. You get back to the rest of the squad."  
"Sure thing. Good luck."

It was only after the two parted ways, Shinji still in Guardian mode, rushing through the streets, that the young soldier realized he had given an order to someone who probably outranked him. Feeling like a complete idiot, he briefly gave a prayer that Skull nine wound overlook the indiscretion and then began speaking into his comm.

"This is Skull three calling Skull leader, do you read me? Repeat: this is Skull three calling Skull leader."

"Hey kid, what's up?" Roy answered, his face appearing on the communication screen.

"Roy! Are you okay?"

"Having a blast, kid."

"Where are you?"

"Corner of Greggs and McNulty, which turns out to be quite the party spot. I've got friends lining up around the block to join in."

"I'm en route."

"Always room for one more," Roy joked, his sly grin visible.

It took roughly 73 seconds for Shinji to jet over to his Commander's position. When Skull One came into sight, he shifted into Battloid mode and fired his cannon, tearing through two Battlepods trying to come around his friend's right flank.

"Nice entrance, kid. You always the life of the party or are you trying to impress on your first combat mission?"

"I, uh-" Shinji tried to think of something to say.

"You know, it is okay to make jokes during battle. Eases the tension and all that."

"I can never think of anything."

"Something else for us to work on. Anyway, now that you're here, I'll have a little help babysitting."

"Babysitting?"

"Yep. My little brother has gotten himself in a little over his head and dragged a girl into this to boot. Of course, she's pretty easy on the eyes, so I can't fault him too much for that. Come on, let's go find him." Roy's engines then rocketed his aircraft down the street, with Shinji close behind.

"Shouldn't he be in the shelters with the rest of the civilians by now?"

"I had gotten him inside a Trainer when our guests arrived and now he's in the thick of it. We had better catch up before he gets that girl – and himself – killed."

Before long, the two members of Skull squadron had located their objective and in the proverbial nick of time as well. A large figure was advancing on a Veritech in Guardian mode, its weapon extended but not firing, whether due to the pilot's reluctance or lack of ammunition, Shinji did not know. Coming in behind the alien, Roy shifted back to Battloid mode, leveled his own weapon and fired, placing a round hole in the upper left of the target's back.

"What was it? What was that thing, Roy?" Hunter's voice trembled as he asked.

"That is the enemy. Now you know why we built the Battloids, Rick – to fight these giant aliens."

The two shared more words, but Shinji was not listening. Instead, his attention was focused upon the fallen individual before him. Perhaps, if it had been truly alien, closer in appearance to an Angel, maybe, the guilt would not be there, weighing down on him. Yet, the being his friend had just shot in the back appeared no different from him or anyone else he knew apart from its immense size. Who was this being that had come so far from his home only to end his existence face down in a ruined street with a gaping wound in his back? Did he have friends? Family? Children? Did Roy just make some child an orphan? Shinji started to feel sick as the brutal reality of what he had agreed to finally dawned upon him. It may be that, in order to uphold his oath, he would have to make orphans of many before this ugly mess was over. In an instant, his actions that day seemed less fulfilling.

"Attention Skull leader, SDF-1 is taking off. Request air cover, over." Commander Hayes transmitted. Clearing his mind, Shinji realized he could see the ship rising up in the distance.

"We're on our way," Roy responded, changing into Guardian mode. His young squad mate did the same, trying to swallow his renewed misgivings as he had managed earlier. The two began their ascent, but Roy started to lag behind.

"Come on Rick, let's go. Get the lead out," he said. "Come on Rick, what's the matter with you?"

There was no answer and the VF-1D just became smaller and smaller while the other Veritechs rose higher and higher. They switched to Fighter mode for greater air travel and to escape the atmosphere in order to meet with the SDF-1. However, only a short time passed before the Commander cursed under his breath and commed his wingman.

"Kid, you go on ahead and hook up with the ship. I've got to go back."

"Wait Roy, are you sure?"

"I've got to go back and get Rick. He's in this because of me and if he gets killed I'll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again."

"I'll come with you."

"No dice. The SDF-1 wants air support and there's no reason to waste your skills going back down for a simple pick up."

"You'll need back up. What if the enemy is still there?"

"All the more reason for me to go and get Rick. Besides, it's not like I can't take care of myself. Trust me, I'll be fine."

"But…"

"Kid, I'm about to make this the second official order I've given you."

Shinji's shoulders slumped as he realized this particular argument was lost. Just one more thing to add to the day.

"Understood, Skull leader."

"Don't look so glum rookie, I'll be back before you can say 'alien invasion'."

Skull One slowed its ascent more, causing Shinji to dart ahead even quicker from his friend. The boy could half-hear Roy opening a channel to the battle fortress to explain why he would be late joining with the rest of the Veritechs, but he was not really interested in eavesdropping on the conversation. He felt tired, far more so than he had ever felt except for a couple occasions following a few particularly gruesome Angel battles.

Hitting his afterburners, Corporal Ikari exited the Earth's atmosphere for the first time in his life. Waiting for him were the stars, viewed from above the sky. They were quite the sight, tiny white diamonds spread across a great black curtain large enough to encircle a universe. For a moment, he was once again outside himself, observing and contemplating this new facet of life as though he were not seeing it because he was set to rendezvous with a battleship to fight off bloodthirsty invaders. Instead he was simply a boy who had come to a unique threshold in his life, one that would mark an ending point to a part of his life once he crossed it. The moment was incredibly brief, however, and ended abruptly once the SDF-1 came into his line of sight, reminding the pilot why he was up there.

"All planes return to carrier bays," Commander Hayes ordered.

Shinji moved his Veritech so that it matched up with the battle fortress and could land within it. He then contacted the Commander.

"Bridge control, this is Skull three, request landing bay assignment."

"Roger, Skull three, proceed to bay five-zero-four," Hayes responded.

Switching to Guardian mode, Corporal Ikari maneuvered his aircraft into the ship, setting down alongside the rest of Skull squadron. At least, the survivors of Skull squadron. Letting out a deep sigh, he debated the merits of simply remaining in the cockpit and not bothering to get out. It was surprisingly warm and comfortable, which really was all you could ask for in a place to rest. After a couple of minutes, he decided it would be best to get out of the plane while the crew re-prepared it for battle. Something told him there was still a good deal of death remaining in the day.

Climbing down the ladder provided, Shinji observed his fellow Veritech pilots. Some looked as tired as him, while others were already starting to loudly boast their kill count. Small cliques formed as the soldiers tried to tally their individual number of enemy kills and compare that number to that accumulated by their comrades.

_How many did I kill? Ten? Twelve? More? Less? I can't remember_, Shinji thought as he walked alone, regretting not having gone back with Roy. Would his friend really have ordered him to go on alone? Should he have disobeyed if so? The questions gnawed at the young pilot, adding yet one more problem to the ones heaped on his shoulders.

"All Veritech personnel remain on standby alert. Repeat, all Veritech personnel remain on standby alert," Commander Hayes ordered.

_It's not over yet_, Shinji thought with more than a touch of fatigue. Walking outside the hangar, into the pressurized interior of the ship, he removed his helmet and felt the cool air on his face. Had he only been fighting for a few hours? Somehow, it seemed closer to days. Strange, how time seemed to work. Spotting a chair located in a somewhat out of the way place, outside the herd of people discussing the day's events and what to do next, he made his way over to it, sat down, and leaned back.

Why was he so tired? All things considered, he had been through much worse. If he managed to get through this without requiring some form of medical attention, it would be a marked improvement over his first outing with Unit-01. Closing his eyes, the Third Child's mind drifted back to that ominous day he arrived in Tokyo-3…

"Sleep well, sweet prince?" A familiar voice joked. Shinji opened his eyes.

"Huh, wha-Roy! When did you get back?"

"After you started your nap. Feel rested?"

"I…oh no…" the boy moaned, wanting to hide his face.

"Don't worry; I'm pretty sure no one noticed. Anyway, strap on your helmet – the SDF-1 is about to link up with a couple of the Armor platforms and we're probably going to be sent out afterwards."

Quickly rubbing the sleep from his eyes (but not the shame from his face), Shinji did as suggested.

"Was Rick okay?"

"Fine, once I hauled him out of there. He and his girlfriend are in the ship and if he's got even the least bit of sense, that's where he'll stay until this is over. Then maybe I can finally introduce the two of you. It should be fun, for me at least."

"Har har."

"That's the upbeat attitude I like to see in my pilots."

Suddenly, the ship began to shake. The two raced to their Veritechs and climbed in. Roy immediately got on the comm to get a situation report.

"Bad news – our friends from out of town just tore apart the Armor platforms. We weren't hit, though."

"Are they sending us out?" Shinji asked.

"Not yet, but be ready."

About a minute after Roy finished speaking, Claudia's voice came over the ship's internal speakers.

"Attention all hands, priority: Fold System standby. Readying maximum green energy at all power stations. All hands to emergency positions, repeat, all hands to emergency positions. This is not a drill. Prepare for fold in t-minus five minutes and counting."

"Did she just say we were going to try a fold jump?" Shinji asked.

"I think she did. Hold on, let me see what's going on." Roy responded.

_Well, Dr. Lang has been looking forward to his chance to try out the Reflex Furnace_, Shinji thought.

"Okay, we're going back down to the island and then we're going to make a jump to the far side of the moon and hopefully behind the enemy's flank." Roy informed the boy. Shinji's hands gripped the controls of his fighter. "After that, we're on."

"Understood."

It was an odd sensation, sitting in a Veritech cockpit while the ship you were in began a rapid descent. Shinji was fairly sure a rather abrupt bump marked the point where they re-entered the planet's atmosphere. He looked to his commanding officer and saw the man in that odd mixture of relaxation and battle readiness he was capable of. The boy could only marvel at the man's steel nerve.

"We will enter fold in 10 seconds," Claudia announced. "9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…0."

What came after she finished was an experience Shinji would remember with a queasy stomach for the rest of his life, though he was certainly not alone in that regard. It was as though every last bit of his body, right down to the smallest atom, was being torn apart, piece by piece, faster than he could think. Then, in the passage of one second, he blinked out of existence.

"Ugh…you okay, kid?" Roy asked.

"I'm…alive," he answered.

"Well, you're doing better than me. Next time, maybe we can take the bus."

The hangar bay had already switched back to normal lighting, revealing that everything and everyone remained intact.

"I'm glad that's-" Roy began.

"Emergency! Emergency! Prepare for impact! Prepare for impact!"

Commander Hayes's warning was punctuated by the entire ship colliding with something outside. Both pilots were knocked around in their seats.

"-over."

After a quick shake of his head to clear out the lingering dizziness, Shinji again gripped the controls and decided that this time he was not going to let go. He commed his friend.

"What now?"

"Now, we head out. There's still an alien fleet waiting for us."

The bay doors opened and Skull One flew out, followed closely behind by a VF-1A. Both Roy and Shinji had their jaws drop once they saw the very unexpected sight that floated beneath the SDF-1.

"Is that Macross Island?!" Shinji exclaimed in disbelief.

"It looks like," Roy confirmed. "It must have gotten caught in, I don't know, the backwash or something."

While more Veritechs flew out of the SDF-1, Shinji and Roy continued their recon. It took only a couple minutes for a disturbing realization to come upon the younger of the two pilots.

"Roy, we were supposed to come out behind the moon, right?"

"Yeah."

"We should still be able to see home then, right?"

"…yeah…"

"So…where did the Earth go?"


	4. Goodbye Kansas

Chapter Four: Goodbye Kansas

_When I look back, it seems so strange that everyone managed to stay as calm as they did. The city's dream turned into a nightmare after the Zentraedi came, destroying our homes and so many lives. I once tried talking to Aunt Lena about it, to try and understand what had happened to them, what it had been like to be so isolated in the shelters. All she could remember was how terrified she was, both during and after the attack. First an invasion and then getting lost on the other side of the solar system, it was just so much. I know I would not have taken things very well without having Rick to see me through it._

- excerpt from the diary of Lynn Minmei

For only the second time in his life, Emil Lang found it difficult to concentrate on the task before him. Things had started off so well that the scientist had been legitimately worried that he would be bored for most of the day. It seemed as though he was doing nothing more than counting off the minutes until the SDF-1 would lift off, providing him the opportunity to finally test the fold drives. Oh, how he had agitated for the test flight to be performed before the celebration, so that he could run through the process properly, in true scientific fashion. Instead, the officials at the United Earth Government had decided they wanted to make a show of the procedure. Forget that there was still a great deal about the ship and its technology that even _he_ did not understand and forget that the anti-gravity generators had never even been turned on after their installation. All of that did not compare to the UEG's desire to distract the masses with bread and circuses. After all, he was only the chief engineer and creator of the Reflex Furnace. It wasn't as though his opinions carried any weight! Such folly.

Protesting in the only way he knew how, Land had opted to stow himself away in the heart of the SDF-1, keeping close to his beloved Furnace, the end result of over ten years worth of sweat and toil. Technicians wandered to and fro, checking readings and observing status displays, all with a sort of anxious energy. Most of them were hand-picked by him, brought in because he knew they could be trusted, and not just because they came fresh from school. The brightest of the lot approached him.

"Not going to watch the air show, doctor? I'd think you would enjoy observing your work paraded around for everyone to see." Lazlo Zand said.

Lang let out a quiet sigh, not bothering to look up from the clipboard he was holding in his hands. He knew Zand loved to try and get under his skin, be it through trying to prove his superiority in regards to Robotechnology, or simply by using caustic remarks. It wasn't as though eye contact would have been possible anyway, since Zand's heavily tinted spectacles prevented anyone from getting a clear look.

"No, it's better that I remain here and keep an eye on the Furnace. They aren't doing anything I haven't already seen before, multiple times."

"You're not even going to check and see how your young friend handles himself?"

"I know he'll be fine."

"Ah well, such is your choice. Still, given the interest you've shown in him, one would expect you to keep a closer eye on his activities."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Doctor, you and I both know that you never take an interest in someone unless they directly affect your work. Clearly, that boy presents an opportunity for you to uncover some material on one of the various organizations you hold a grudge against."

"You feel confident in your assessment?"

"Of course. He shows no inclination towards understanding the workings of Robotechnology, so you don't see him as a possible student. Therefore, his value to you must come from some other trait. Since the only other notable thing about him is his connection to NERV, you view him as a means to gain leverage against a group you view as a threat to your work."

Zand looked very proud of his pronouncement, always happy to show himself the equal of his friend and mentor. Such a feeling was not entirely unjustified, since it was a reflection of an accurate judgment based on what the scientist knew about Lang. However, there were a few choice pieces of information the German-born doctor kept to himself in relation to his concerns regarding NERV.

"As always Lazlo, you intuit an explanation well from the facts available to you." Lang replied.

Zand looked pleased witht that statement, apparently unaware of the hidden meaning behind the other man's words. Before the two could talk further, an alarm began to sound.

"That's a combat alert!" Lazlo announced.

Dr. Lang was already in motion, almost sprinting towards the phone that connected engineering to the bridge. It took Zand a few minutes to get over to his colleague and wait for him to finish speaking.

"Well, what is going on?" he asked.

"They've finally arrived. I had hoped would have more time, but now is not the time for regrets." Lang answered, a scowl marring his features. He did not have to explain who 'they' were.

"What now?"

"We fulfill our purpose for being here. Place the Furnace on standby – I want it ready to go on a moment's notice."

Lazlo nodded in understanding and raced off to carry out the task set for him. Mentally, Lang concerned himself with the ship's defenses, all of them he had either designed personally or had some supervision over their creation. He had never been able to get the barrier system to function properly, so that was already a strike against them. Thoughts of improvised defense measures speeded through his mind so quickly that he did not notice a man deposit an object on the Fold drives and then slink away.

Suddenly, the ship rocked from the impact of what could only be enemy ordnance. The next several hours consisted of Lang trying to get the barrier system online while simultaneously keeping the secondary propulsion engines working. It was not easy and the doctor almost had a stroke when he learned that the anti-gravity generators had torn away from the ship instead of lifting it up, but when the secondary boosters managed to finally get the SDF-1 into orbit, he felt a profound sense of relief. Then the call came in over the intercom.

"Attention all hands, priority: Fold system standby."

"They can't expect us to test the Fold drives now, under these conditions!?" Zand loudly protested. Lang formed a smile on his face.

"Why Lazlo, don't tell me you're hesitant to finally see if my theories were correct?"

"Doctor, we don't know what will happen!"

"Then it is time for us to finally find out. The great threshold is finally before us, old friend. Don't you want to see what is on the other side?"

Zand's face suggested that he did not have any burning desire to see if the grass was indeed greener, but stayed quiet. He knew better than to argue.

"I want maximum power output from the Reflex Furnace! Lazlo, are the Fold drives ready?"

"Ready, doctor."

"Now all we can do is wait," Lang muttered.

Located on the lower portion of the Fold drive, out of sight of anyone nearby, a sensor inside an electronic device detected the energy emissions necessary for it to activate. The sensor then began to measure the level of said emissions, ready to explode once a pre-programmed point was reached. It made no sound, no noise that might betray its presence and thus its intention. It took no notice of the voice of Claudia Grant as she counted down to the fold jump. Then, when the SDF-1 entered foldspace for the first time and the universe seemed to pull apart, it carried out its mission. At least, it certainly tried to.

"Aggh…status!" Lang groaned.

"Trying to get main power back online," Zand answered.

The lights came back on, but in doing so managed to reveal an unexpected problem. For a couple of minutes, everyone in the room just gaped and stared, not quite comprehending the absence of a very important object.

"Was ist zum Faltenantrieb geschehen?" Osmund asked?

"It…appears to have vanished into thin air," Zand answered. "Doctor, shall we run some scans?"

"We may as well," Lang responded before walking over to the phone.

"What are you doing?" Zand asked.

"I'm doing the only thing I can right now – informing the Captain that the fold drives, our only means of getting home without a long and difficult journey, have vanished into thin air."

For a time, no one could thing of anything to say, until technician Osmund decided to voice his thoughts.

"Gut wenigstens kennen wir, dass die Maschinen gearbeitet haben."

000

"Roy, where did the Earth go?!"

"I heard you the first time, kid. I don't know!"

Weaving through the debris-filled area of space outside the SDF-1, the two pilots tried to make sense of the latest situation fate had place them in. One was handling it with the cool, collected ease that comes from years of combat experience. The other wasn't.

"Did something happen to it?! Did the aliens destroy it?!" Shinji desperately asked.

"I think something happened to _us_. The jump must have overshot the moon by…I don't know how much."

"So what do we do?"

"We head back to the SDF-1 and wait for Dr. Lang to get us back. No muss, no fuss. Just take a couple breaths and ease down. I've gotten my squad through worse than this." Roy said.

"You've gotten them through worse than being stuck in the middle of outer space while an alien fleet attacks the Earth?"

"Well, yeah. You ever have to explain to an Admiral why his prize supply of wine disappeared along with his Mercedes?"

"Um, no."

"Trust your commanding officer – it was worse than this."

Shinji could not help but chuckle slightly at that, feeling himself calm down. Roy was right, naturally. They still had a way home and losing control would not help anyone.

"Hey, Skull leader?" Skull nine asked.

"What is it, Collins?"

"What happened to Earth? I'm only asking 'cause some of the guys were-"

Skull nine's transmission abruptly ended when his fighter exploded after being hit by a laser burst from a nearby Battlepod. Shinji watched as pieces of the Veritech he had rescued only a few hours earlier floated past his cockpit.

"Aw, hell! Figures the bad guys would have come along too! Watch my wing, kid; we're going down to make a pass."

"Understood, Skull leader."

A group of Battlepods were clustered together on the frozen terrain that had been Macross Island, closing in on the SDF-1 floating above while firing on it. The were so focused on their task that they failed to react in time to avoid the missiles Roy and Shinji loosed upon them. A fireball marked their passing, but it was quickly consumed by the vacuum of space, leaving only burnt pieces of metal mixed with ice.

"Skull squadron, close up around the left side of the SDF-1. Our friends still want to see the inside before they go." Roy ordered.

The Veritechs soon appeared near the appointed area, just in time to meet an advancing line of Battlepods. Shinji had to wonder what they hoped to achieve by this pointless charge. They were easily outnumbered, outgunned and could not hope to win. Why waste their lives? If they could not contact their fleet for rescue, they could still surrender. They did not have to die, not out in a cold and lonely vacuum. It just did not make sense.

"Stay loose, people. I don't want them to hem us in." Roy ordered.

Battloids were spread across the engagement zone, many of them taking up positions on the SDF-1 itself and firing down upon the Battlepods. Disregarding basic tactics, many of the aliens were charging head no into the hail of cannon fire, oddly reminiscent of the earlier suicide tactics used by the first wave of fighters to attack Macross Island. Others had decided to be more discrete in their methods and used the ruined buildings for cover as they exchanged fire with the RDF.

"Shinji, take Skull twelve and get around behind those Battlepods. A quick strike in their middle should make them scatter.

"Roger, Commander."

Switching to Guardian mode, Shinji led his squadmate in a wide semi-circle around the island in order to take the aliens unaware. He was still tired, the day's fatigue still with him, and not the least diminished by his nap (and how that made him grimace). The shock of what happened to Collins was fresh in his mind. One minute he was there, the next he wasn't. His HUD flashed red and a beeping alerted him to the target lock he had on the aliens. Swooping in low, Shinji launched a missile volley at his target while his wingmate did the same. Their attack punched a clean hole through the line of aliens engaging the Veritechs.

Roy didn't miss a beat once Shinji gave him the opening he wanted. The entirety of Skull squadron shifted to Guardian mode and flew down to further drive apart the two newly-formed groups of bewildered aliens. Had the battle been in an atmosphere, the steady blasts of gatling cannons would have filled the ears of all nearby.

"Skull two through twelve, take the group on the right. Thirteen through twenty-three, the one on the left. Green squadron, stay behind and guard the SDF-1 and our flanks. I don't want any of them to slip around behind us." Roy barked.

The red-orange flash of gatling cannons became clear against the starry backdrop of deep space and the crystal blue of a Macross Island now completely covered in ice. A feeling of the surreal passed over Shinji ad it took him a minute to realize what was causing it. For the first time in his life, he could not hear the outside. Even inside Unit-01, there was the sensation of sound, a signal that a living world remained outside his metal shell. Back on Earth, the air had been filled with the sounds of numerous explosions, cannon fire, and other indicators of battle, all audible to him. Now it was nothing but vacuum, a void ready to consume him should the piece of glass over his cockpit shatter. It was a rather sharp and jarring contrast.

"Hey, watch it!" Skull five yelled.

Skull eleven had attempted to switch to Battloid mode and set down on the surface of Macross Island. In doing so, he had slipped on the ice and knocked against his squadmate, causing the Veritech to bump into a nearby building.

"Don't bunch up, people, I don't need the grief." Roy said. "Stay in Guardian mode and save the ice skating for later."

"Roger, Skull leader." Skull eleven responded.

Hardly five minutes passed before the aliens were once again upon them, guns blazing. Before anyone had a chance to react, Skull five was nothing more than wreckage. Roy let loose a massive missile volley into the group attacking from the right side, annihilating them and a few of the nearby buildings that were already crumbling from the battle.

"Split up," he ordered. "Remember that we're in space – don't engage them groundside and up close unless you have to. There's only a few left, so don't worry about getting overwhelmed."

Shinji only partly heard the Commander's orders due to the fact that he was busy dealing with two Battlepods firing at him. He jetted upward, barely missing the light blue streams ready to put an end to his flying days. He then executed a sharp turn, hoping to immediately strike back, and almost sent his Veritech spinning.

"I'm in space," he muttered. "No wind resistance, no gravity. Can't forget that."

The foot thrusters brought the Veritech to a better position and Shinji locked on his opponents and fired missiles.

"Scratch two Battlepods," he whispered, not completely sure of himself.

A quick fly by informed him of the battle's progression. The Veritechs were now picking off the remnants of the alien attackers, who had completely broken their formation and were scattered every which way. A couple had apparently tried to sneak into the SDF-1, but judging from the fresh wreckage, Green squadron had handled them with little problem. Others were engaged in bizarre zig-zag tactics, possibly hoping to disorient their pursuers enough so that they could shake them off and counterattack, but to no avail. A few were trying to stand their ground, but were meeting the same problem as Skull eleven, making them easy targets. It appeared that, for all intents and purposes, the fighting was coming to a close. Shinji considered this fortunate after a quick glance at his HUD revealed that he was nearly out of ordnance. If the battle had gone on for another hour, he would have been reduced to using nothing more than harsh language against his opponents.

"Watch your underside kid, you've got one heading right towards you," Roy warned.

Shinji shifted his Veritech to Battloid mode just in time to avoid a Battlepod that was dead-set on colliding with him. He fired his gatling cannon, but only managed to graze the enemy's armor while the Battlepod reversed thrust and tried to get back under him.

"Enemy fighter, you're alone and outnumbered. Please surrender." Shinji said.

The Battlepod did not respond and tried once again to ram right into the Veritech. Apparently, its ammunition was either spent or its weapons were malfunctioning. Shinji tried again.

"I ask again, please surrender. If you don't, I'll…have to open fire."

Still nothing. Shinji brought his weapon into line with the alien. His HUD went red with a target lock. The Veritech's finger was on the trigger.

"Enemy fighter, this is your last warning. Please, surrender."

The Battlepod charged again, ready to collide. Shinji fired his weapon. The blast went clean through the enemy's armor, causing the craft to explode. The resulting fireball was quickly consumed by the vacuum of space. The boy could only stare, his hands shaking.

"Skull leader to SDF-1, all enemy forces have been neutralized. Repeat, all enemy forces have been neutralized. All Veritech fighters are returning to base."

"Roger, Skull leader," Commander Hayes responded. "Opening launch bays."

"All Veritechs, return to SDF-1. The job's done for today," Roy said.

The squadron leader then flew his aircraft over to Shinji's, which hadn't moved.

"Kid, you hear me?"

No answer.

"Kid, he was coming right at you. There was nothing else you could have done. He wasn't going to be taken alive and wanted to take you with him. Do you understand me, Corporal Ikari?"

"I…understand, Commander."

"Come on, kid. Let's go home."

Switching back to Guardian mode, Shinji followed his commanding officer back to the battle fortress.

000

The pilot of Skull eleven, VF-1A is Jonathan Myers "Baker's" Dozen. He was born on February 15, 1996. His mother Sarah called him her "belated Valentine's gift". Until he was three years old, he lived in Florida, in a suburb near Miami. When Second Impact came and went, his family, like many other families, was lessened by it. His father, Harold Dozen, was an EMT who died while responding to one of the hundreds of different emergency calls. The exact details were never made entirely clear to him, and his father's body was not recovered until two years after Second Impact, when restoration crews finally made it into the ruins of Miami. By that time, Jonathan and his mother had moved to Denver, Colorado to be with family there. That was where he grew up in a post-Second Impact world.

From the age of eight, Jonathan knew he wanted to fly. He told his mother this, and she smiled the way mothers do when their eight-year-old son announces that he will be something when he grows up. Yet, he was far more determined about this than the average eight-year-old boy was about a future occupation. He regularly checked out books from the library about piloting, went to air shows, though they were few and far between, and finally joined the Air Force at the age of eighteen. When the recruiter asked him why he wanted to fly planes, Jonathan responded with a quick "Why wouldn't I want to?"

Early in basic training, certain officials decided that Jonathan fitted a type they were looking for in regards to a secret project located on an island in the South Pacific. He was asked to take part in some special simulations designed to test his reflexes and abilities in unusual combat situations. He qualified for immediate transfer into an organization under the jurisdiction of the newly-formed UN Spacy, a little-known department of the also newly-formed United Earth Government. Jonathan was thrilled, to say the least.

When he first set foot on Macross Island, Corporal Dozen of the Robotech Defense Force had his jaw hit the floor once he saw the SDF-1. He quickly picked it back up and spent the next two months qualifying for status as a Veritech Fighter pilot. During that time he met a nice girl who lived in the city named Melanie. She lived with her parents, who were members of the city construction service. A rather fumbling romance ensued, filled with equal parts passion and confusion, but now things seems to have stabilized between the two. Two days ago, Corporal Dozen began entertaining thoughts of marriage to his lovely lady. He was going to broach the topic with her after the launch of the SDF-1, and if she responded in a particularly positive way to his discrete queries, he would go about trying to procure an appropriate ring.

As he sat in Bay 504 of the SDF-1, Jonathan wondered why he had felt the need to review the information of his life. This desire began as soon as his Veritech flew through the weird black cloud that hovered near the island early in the morning. It had dissipated as soon as he passed through, so he gave it no further thought and instead examined every aspect of his life from birth until now. His Veritech seemed to be acting oddly since then, so he would have to get it checked-

_- he would have to find Zor's Blasphemy -_

- he would have to get some rest.

"Hey, Jon!"

Jonathan turned to see Destroid pilot Corporal Thomas Smith coming towards him. Jonathan had met Smith on his second day on the island. He was poking around the mecha hangars when –

"That was some fight today, am I right?"

"It was a fight…"

"Oh man, was it one! You flyboys had most of the fun, but us ground-pounders pulled our weight."

"Fun…"

"You alright, man? You seem out of it."

"I'm out of it…"

Someone called Smith's name. The Corporal looked hesitant.

"Look, I've gotta go. We'll meet up later. You go see your girl – oh, right, she's in a shelter. Um, okay, you head over to the mess and I'll meet you there."

"Later."

For some reason, Smith found it reassuring to suddenly get away from his friend. He could not put this feeling to any sort of words; it was just a general uneasiness. Jonathan, meanwhile, continued to review everything he knew about the RDF, the SDF-1 and the location of the Protoculture Matr - _Zor's Blasphemy_. _Why did he not know anything about Zor's Blasphemy?_ At the same time, his Veritech was currently undergoing modifications to its internal structure in order to make it a better vessel for its occupant. It would take some time before this process was complete.

000

Shinji's body seemed to be on automatic as he exited his fighter. Perhaps it was the combined effects of the day's events that brought him to this condition, or perhaps that last Battlepod rattled him a great deal more than he could have expected. Whatever the reason or reasons for his current emotional state of being, it would be regarded by Roy Fokker as merely one more problem to solve. Normally, this would not be especially difficult, since problem-solving was something Roy liked to think he specialized in. However, over the two months he had spent in the presence of Shinji Ikari, he had come to understand that there were times when the boy needed to be handled carefully. The far away look in the Corporal's eyes seemed to indicate that this was one of those times.

"Quite a day, eh kid?"

"I…yeah. Yeah it was." Shinji's voice had a hollow sound to it.

For a moment, Roy considered what would be the best way to approach this. The kid was clearly suffering from battle fatigue, the kind he usually saw in soldiers back from their first combat mission. Usually they would be fine in the morning, but Shinji needed a more direct approach. A plan came to the Commander.

"Come on, follow me," Roy said.

He led his friend to one of the windows on the side of the SDF-1. Looking out form it, one could see a debris field consisting of various pieces of Macross City floating close by. Cars, trucks, chunks of city streets, all of these were on display.

"I've told you that I fought in the Global War of the '90s, that I've killed people, many of them because they weren't on the same side as me."

Shinji nodded. He had heard this before, along with some of the stories.

"On my first day out, I got shot down. Yeah, I know – some grand debut, right?" It was just pure luck that I happened to be on the friendly side of the line when I hit the ground."

The boy turned to look at his friend. This was something new.

"I had popped my smoke, so it was only a matter of time before reinforcements showed up to give me a lift home. So there I was, standing around like a happy idiot, when I heard footsteps behind me. It was a Russian soldier, pointing a gun at me. Judging from the suit he was wearing, he must have been one of the guys my side had shot down only a few minutes ago. When I saw that gun, I thought it was the end. Then he pulled the trigger a couple times and nothing happened. He might have been out of ammo, he might have had a jam, I don't know"

"What did you do?"

"I took out my gun, pointed it at him and told him that he might as well give up. I know he understood me – I might be rusty now, but my Russian was pretty good back then. Instead of doing the sensible thing, he took out a knife and came right at me. I shot at the ground and warned him again. He seemed to get it that time and I started to relax just a little, but then he got closer and tried to stab me again. We struggled and then my gun went off, hitting him probably near his lung."

"Did he die?"

"Not right away. I heard him wheeze out a few last words. I'm pretty sure he was asking his mother to forgive him. For what is something I've long wondered about. I've never told anyone this, but for the next month I had nightmares about him."

Roy turned away from the window and put his hand on Shinji's shoulder.

"War is disgusting, Shinji. It acts as a display for everything bad about the universe. I wouldn't be surprised if that holds true for what we're in now, but there's something you should know: your job is to come home alive. I know it sounds trite, like some empty platitude, but that's just because you can't improve on what's already true. And part of coming home alive means that you'll have to kill when you'd rather not, when the other guy just decides to give you no other choice. The other part of coming home alive is realizing that you have every reason to come home. You have to want to make it back, or else you might as well eat a bullet right now."

Roy paused for a moment, trying to make his words count.

"You're young, only fifteen. When I brought you into the RDF, I hoped you wouldn't actually have to fight this war, at least not before you got a few more good years out of life. But now it's here, like I knew would be and we have to go out and fight it. This is big, kid, bigger than anything a military force has ever done. When we go out there, I need every pilot at his best and that means understanding that there is nothing wrong with defending yourself. So, I want you to make me a promise – that you are going to do everything you can to get through this alive and in one piece. Will you do that for me?"

"I…yeah, yeah I will." Shinji felt taken aback by his friend's bluntness, but knew it would be wrong to protest.

"I've got your word on that?"

"My word, Roy."

"Good," Roy said as he clasped the boy's hand and ruffled his hair. "Remember kid, you're RDF and the RDF looks out for its own."

They walked towards the barracks, taking note of the frenzied activity that still permeated the ship even though the fighting was over. Technicians were hurrying to check the amounts of damage done, while pilots were hobbling towards their quarters. Shinji thought it time to voice his concerns.

"How bad off are we?"

"I'm not entirely sure, honestly. I haven't had the chance to check in with the bridge for a sit-rep. We're coming off of this with at least a broken jaw, that I'm sure of."

"So, what now?"

"Now, all VT pilots are getting some rack time. The last thing I need is for someone to fall asleep in the cockpit. Right now things are in the hands of the Search and Rescue boys. They've certainly got a job ahead of them, getting the civilians on board."

Until Roy had mentioned it, the fact that the entire population of Macross Island was clustered in shelters under a layer of fresh ice had completely escaped Shinji's notice. Imagining what those people might be going through was enough to make a knot form in the pit of his stomach. The boy could only hope that none of them were hurt, and they had plenty of oxygen.

"When will we be getting back to Earth?"

"Probably once the civilians are nice and safe, so don't expect too long a nap. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised the Captain hasn't already ordered a jump back. Anyway, Skull squadron is going to be bright and fresh at 0600, so be ready."

"0600? That's barely five hours sleep."

"Enjoy it while you can. Remember, you're in the RDF now. Besides, we'll have plenty of caffeine waiting for you."

While the prospect of a nice stretch of unconsciousness was very appealing to him at that moment, he was far more eager to get home. Without the RDF, Earth was bereft of its main defense against the aliens and there was no telling just what they were doing while the SDF-1 sat at the edge of nowhere.

Roy was filled with a similar anxiety, his mind already at work forming plans of attack against an enemy that had been given time to establish a beachhead. There was also the lingering question of what Rick had gotten into while his big brother was preoccupied. The Lieutenant-Commander had yet to check on him, and a bad feeling was starting to tug at the back of his mind, telling him Rick had gotten into trouble. He would have to find the hotshot amateur soon.

"Alright kid," Roy said once they arrived at the barracks, "straight and tall at 0600."

"I know, I know."

"Good. One more thing – that was some nice flying today. I expect to see more of it."

After closing the door, Shinji hobbled over to his cot. He considered getting a shower first, but the fatigue dissuaded him from that idea. Getting cleaned up would go easier with several hours of sleep to bolster the process. The boy then collapsed onto the most comfortable thing in the universe.

000

The alarm sounded what felt like five minutes later, alerting Shinji that it was time to prepare himself for the day. A few minutes later and slightly more unkempt than he preferred to be, Corporal Ikari hurried down to the hangar, where he expected to receive a very brief speech and then orders to prepare for combat. Because of this expectation, it came as a minor shock when he arrived only to find that the Veritechs were not being prepped for immediate deployment. The usual maintenance crews were there, performing their duties, but with none of the urgency that would be present prior to combat. Instead, a kind of doom hung over everyone save the Veritech pilots themselves, who were just starting to file in. Roy was off to the side of the hangar, looking akin to a fresh corpse. Shinji had to wonder if he had gotten any sleep.

"Fall in, pilots!" Colonel Maistroff ordered. It occurred to Shinji that Captain Gloval's immediate subordinate would not be here if this were a simple pre-combat pep talk. Something else was happening, something that no one was going to enjoy.

"Now, I know that most of you were expecting a quick trip home and another crack at our hostile ETs. Well, I am here to inform you that there has been a change of plans. Somehow, our Chief Engineer has misplaced the ship's fold drive, rendering us unable to perform any kind of faster-than-light travel. We will be taking the long road home, pilots."

Everyone was stunned. The Colonel could not have produced a greater shock if he had announced that all the gods in all the pantheons had come together to dance a two-step. The pilots immediately began murmuring amongst themselves, some figuring it for a joke, others asking just how they would manage to get back to Earth. Had things been given a chance, a small riot might have broken out between the members of the RDF's finest, which was exactly why Maistroff was there.

"I did not give you leave to flap your jaws!" the Colonel thundered. "You are still members of the Robotech Defense Force and by God I will see that you act like it!"

The noise died quickly.

"Now, since you have remembered that you are soldiers, I will expect that you act like soldiers! We may be further from home than any army in history, but that only means discipline will be all the more important. This is an army of rules and regulations which will continue to be followed to the letter. Duties will be performed, stations will be manned and I do not care if the Almighty himself tries to tell you otherwise! Am I making myself clear?"

"_Sir, yes sir!_" The pilots responded as one.

"Very good. Now, Commander Fokker shall inform you of the days assignments. As usual, any questions will go to him and any disciplinary actions will be brought to me. Commander."

Maistroff stepped back and Roy came forward to face the pilots.

"All right people, the fighting might be done in our neck of the woods but the clean up has just begun. Search and Rescue managed to get some of the civilians onboard, but there are still more stuck on the island. Captain Gloval wants recovery crews to the Daedalus and Prometheus, which got taken along for the ride. We've also got some 10,000 frightened civilians in the hold and while it's doubtful there will be any trouble, we're still going to need a presence there to keep the peace. Yes, I know most of you weren't trained for crowd control, but we're short-handed at the moment. Finally, though we don't believe there's an enemy presence in the area, one squadron will be combat ready at all times until further notice. The Veritechs will be divided into three groups: the first will assist in recovering the civilians and bringing them aboard. The second will assist Chief Engineer Lang in salvaging the Daedalus and the Prometheus. The last group will be performing patrols in regular guard patterns. I've given your assignments to individual squadron leaders, so check with them. One more thing – Earth is counting on us to get back as quick as we can, but that won't happen unless we can keep it together. Remember that. Dismissed."

Shinji desperately tried to make a path through the crowd to reach his friend. When he finally did and got a closer look at the man, the boy was sure he had not rested since yesterday. Something told him this was not solely due to the current predicament of the SDF-1.

"Roy, are you okay?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just forgot to get some sleep, that's all."

Shinji was not convinced, but felt unsure how to press the issue. The expression on his face, however, did his work for him.

"It's Rick. The damn fool took off in his jet after I specifically told him not to and now I don't know where he is or how he is. Dead, alive, I just don't know." Roy said with uncharacteristic melancholy.

Now the boy felt as though he should not have said anything. Reassuring people and offering emotional support were things he was never proficient at, believing himself incapable of doing so adequately. Still, he had to try something. Roy deserved that much from him.

"He's…not with the civilians already onboard?"

"I checked."

"What about the shelters?"

"No one's heard of him there, either."

"Maybe…he's still on Earth?"

"It's possible, bit I kind of hope he isn't, you know?"

Shinji nodded, understanding completely and feeling useless. If anything, he's probably made his friend feel worse. Now he was almost sure it would have been better if he had not said anything. Yet, there was still one last attempt to be made.

"I…I'm sure he's okay, Roy. You've told me he knows how to take care of himself. I mean, if he's as good as you've said he is, he's probably somewhere safe, especially if he's paid attention to what you've taught him."

Shinji's voice was unsure, but somehow his words had the desired effect.

"Thanks for saying that, kid. You're probably right, but I can't help worrying. He's my little brother. His dad took me under his wing when I needed it and gave me a home. I owe Pop Hunter a hell of a lot and Rick…he was always there, ready to learn to fly. He and I had plenty of good times and I could almost forget that we weren't really flesh and blood."

There was complete quiet between the two for a minute after Roy finished. Though he felt that something should be said as a response, if only to try and further allay Roy's fears, Shinji could not get his mouth to open, afraid that whatever he might try to say would only make things worse. It was a feeling of uselessness he was familiar with, but it aggravated him more than usual, for some reason.

Roy, in contrast to Shinji's indecisiveness, was already closing off the part of him that feared for Rick's safety. There was still plenty of work to do.

"I've assigned you to the Daedalus recovery team. You'll be serving under Kramer for today. He'll be heading up Skull squadron."

"What about you?"

"Captain Gloval has called a meeting of all senior military officials and division heads. It looks like I'm in for a long series of strategy discussions and posturing. We've got over a dozen assorted high-ranking guys that came for the celebration, but otherwise have nothing to do here except for reminding us how many lapels they have on their uniforms."

"When will you be back?"

"Probably tomorrow, so try and keep things together for me. Anyway, both of us have places to be right now. I'll try and catch up with you at the end of your third shift. You should have some free time by then."

"Third shift? I haven't even had breakfast yet."

"Heh. This is the RDF, kid. Regular meals are a luxury. Just be thankful for coffee."

"I…don't drink coffee."

"Oh, you will."

Roy punctuated this prediction with a knowing grin and left his friend in the hangar. Shinji just shook his head and walked in the direction of his Veritech, wondering about this latest turn his life had taken, along with the fate of Rick Hunter. He did not want to think about how hurt Roy would be if his little brother was dead.

Shinji did not notice that the pilot of Skull eleven was watching his every move.

000

The next fifteen hours of Shinji's life were composed of a long stretch of menial labor based around the task of investigating the status of the Daedalus. It was not noticeably difficult, checking the hull for damage, clearing away the extensive amount of debris floating nearby and trying to get inside without destroying anything. Most of the problems arose from the fact that the pilots were trained to fight and little else, but that did not change the fact that the Battloids were the only vehicles suited for such tasks while in zero gravity. Everything else would have to be refitted so that it could function in a vacuum. Naturally, this division between task and training led to a few mishaps, such as when Skull nine tried to enter a chamber that had somehow managed to avoid losing its atmosphere after leaving Earth. The surprise 'gust' had knocked the Veritech into a wall and given its pilot a nasty bumping around. There was also a very morbid aspect to the team's work, since they also had to clear out the bodies of those who suffocated once the ship had materialized in a location without oxygen. Shinji was quite thankful that he managed to avoid that duty by keeping outside and performing spot welding jobs and trash pickup.

All tasks must come to an end, though, and soon enough the boy was sitting in the newly-improvised mess hall, nursing an empty coffee cup. There had not been time for much food while between shifts since most of the ship's supply was going to the now 20,000 civilians in the hold. Thus, lacking anything substantive and still in need of something to give him a boost, Shinji had hit the coffee pot. If the ruined state of everything nearby was an accurate indicator, he was not alone in choosing this substitute. It was easy for him to understand why people were impatient for a cup, what baffled him was the seeming consistent inability of anyone to prepare a fresh pot once they were out. This was why the Corporal sat alone, watching carefully as the antiquated machine did its work.

"Don't tell me it's empty again." A feminine voice pleaded.

"Sorry," he responded. "I'm making more, if you can wait."

"Might as well. I'd rather not think about what would happen if I came back empty-handed."

The girl sad down in the seat opposite Shinji's, and tried to lean back and relax a bit. She ran a hand through her short, dark hair in frustration. Something about her seemed familiar, but Shinji opted to remain quiet. The girl did not.

"Hey, is that you, Shinji? I've seen you around, but haven't had the chance to talk since we met that night."

"Kim! I'm sorry, I…I didn't recognize you."

"Don't worry about it; we're all a little frazzled. I never realized before today how quickly systems updates start to look alike. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have your eyes start to dissolve, you should try reviewing a constant stream of reports for nine hours at a stretch. It's a good way to find out."

"I think I can go without knowing that," he responded.

"I'm not surprised. Still, I've had it easy compared to you guys. I can only hear bits of it a time, but I take it the recovery efforts are going slow?"

"Yeah. Most of the time I'm worrying about what I'm doing, just trying not to screw up. I get frustrated with it, at times."

"Frustrated?"

"I…feel kind of pointless, being there. We're picking up pieces of scrap, trying to patch things up with very little material."

"Not quite the days of glory and riches you thought it would be?"

"It's not that. I just…I wonder if there was any meaning to it. All these people killed, all this destruction… I want to know if there was a reason why."

Kim frowned and moved forward a bit.

"I can see what you mean," she said. "People just gone, in an instant. I think there are still some bodies onboard both the Daedalus and Prometheus that we haven't recovered. Did you…, no never mind."

"What is it?"

"No, it's nothing."

Their eyes met unexpectedly, and parted quickly.

"God, I'm such an idiot," Kim muttered under her breath. She decided to move the conversation to a lighter topic.

"So, we're on an advanced alien space fortress, but stuck using and old Mr. Coffee to get something to drink. I think those science fiction shows lied to us."

Shinji half-smiled at that, figuring it to be a good point.

"And it's not even a good coffee maker," she continued, "or even a half-decent one. You'd think that for the time we spend waiting for a cup, we could at least get something that tastes like something better than motor oil."

"I'm guessing that someone like you would have a good idea of what motor oil tastes like," Shinji joked, then immediately bit his tongue.

"Ah! He can crack a joke! I was almost afraid to say anything in case you had some kind of medical condition. You know, acute humor-deficiency syndrome, or something like that?" Kim made an exaggerated gesture of surprise, trying to accentuate her response. Shinji just continued to bite his tongue. Had he really said that? It must be the long hours mixed with caffeine.

"As I was saying before being so mercilessly taunted, there should be some sort of balance between the quality of coffee and the time it takes to prepare it."

"A…balance?"

"Of course. The faster you get a cup, the worse it tastes. The longer you wait to get a cup, the better it tastes. It's really quite simple. Actually, it is elegant in its simplicity." Kim looked quite proud of her pronouncement.

"So you think there should be a trade-off, one in exchange for another?" Shinji asked, enjoying the moment.

"You make it sound depressing. I'm saying there should be an equivalency at work. It's like, there's two things at work, the actual making of the coffee and the way it tastes when finished. Balance isn't the word, more like…like…um…"

"An equilibrium."

"Exactly! And don't look at me that way, I would have figured it in a second!" There was mock anger in her voice. "You shouldn't judge people because they lack caffeine."

Shinji blushed slightly in response, while letting out a small laugh. He was enjoying the absurd turn the conversation had taken.

"You know, I think I'm onto something with this. Maybe I could get Dr. Lang to make this some sort of scientific law? I'll bet I can. All I have to do is ask reaalllll nice."

"I, ah, don't think it works that way."

"Don't be a spoilsport, or I won't list you as co-creator. Now, we need something to call this great achievement. How about 'the Inverse-Reverse Conservation of Coffee Time'?"

"I'm not sure that's grammatically correct…"

"Shush. That's the name we're giving it and we'll probably get a nice, shiny science award for our genius insight. What do you think, Shinji? Do we have a shot at the World's Most Important Science Award?"

"I'm not qualified to judge."

"Oh come on. Wouldn't the invincible hotshot former Evangelion pilot know everything there is to know about anything important in the world? I thought you had to be an extra-special type of person to get the privilege of piloting one of those things."

While she certainly did not intend for it to happen, Kim's words immediately put Shinji into a darker mood.

"I wouldn't call being an Eva pilot a privilege," he said in a somber tone.

"Oh no, I've put my foot in my mouth again, haven't I?" Kim asked, realizing she had made a mistake.

"No, it's not your fault, it's just….sorry."

The situation suddenly became a great deal more awkward, with neither quite sure what, if anything, should be said. Kim Young, however, was not a person to endure such awkwardness for long.

"Can I ask what it was like, to pilot one of those things? There were all sorts of rumors about it, when it was on the island for those tests."

"Rumors?" This was the first time Shinji had heard anything to that effect, though perhaps he should not have been surprised.

"Yeah. Stuff like 'the Evas feed on human souls' and other wild ones. Must sound pretty ridiculous to you, right?"

Shinji thought back to his most recent sortie inside Unit-01, his battle with the twelfth Angel, and being stuck inside his Eva and the Sea of Dirac. Somehow, that rumor felt uncomfortably close to reality.

"The Evas…I really don't know how to describe them, what it's like to be inside one. Synching with one, swallowing in LCL…I'm not sure I have the words."

Kim thought that would be the end of it, but he surprised her by continuing.

"You feel what it feels. The more you synch with it, the more feelings you share. When it gets hurt, you get hurt. It's not like a Veritech, where you're completely in control, isolated from direct contact. It's almost like you're trying to control a wild animal."

"You make it sound like they're alive."

"There have been times when I've wondered if they were. They're supposed to be 'bio-mechanical', whatever that means. An Eva can go berserk, completely out of anyone's control. You just have to wait for it to stop."

"Do you miss it? I mean, if you had stayed with NERV, you probably wouldn't be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with us."

Shinji thought about his answer.

"No. Despite everything that's happened in the past twenty-four hours – the attacks, the deaths, being lost, everything – I'd rather be here than back at NERV, inside Unit-01."

A 'ping' announced that the coffee maker had finally finished brewing its concoction. Hesitantly, the two RDF members picked themselves up and walked over to it.

"So…how much do you want?" Kim asked.

"Just half a cup. I don't have much time to drink it."

She poured him the desired amount and then placed the rest inside a container she had brought with her. Kim then set the machine to prepare more, knowing it would likely be consumed soon.

"I, ah, I've got to get back to the bridge. Sammie's probably ready to jump out of her seat by now. It's been nice talking with you." Kim said, suddenly fumbling over words. She was about halfway to the door before adding one last thing:

"Shinji, for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here and I'm glad we had the chance to talk. I'd like to do it again, sometime."

Then she was gone, leaving the third child alone with his thoughts. Sipping his drink, he contemplated the subjects he had discussed with the bridge officer. It was unusual for him to open up like that, but the more time he spent with the RDF, the easier he found it to simply talk with people. Perhaps it was a side-effect of being around Roy so much. The Commander had to be one of the friendliest, most outgoing people he had ever met. No one ever seemed to have a bad word for him, except for Colonel Maistroff. But then, the Colonel never had anything good to say about anyone. Shinji couldn't understand that. Everyone on Macross Island seemed content, both with themselves and the work they were doing. It didn't really make sense, considering that they were ostensibly preparing to fight off an alien invasion, but there was never even a hint of the continual dread that permeated everything associated with NERV. It was almost unsettling, how calm everything was. No one worried that their father might be manipulating them for some unknown reason. The change was refreshing, but…

Shinji let out a sigh. He had told Kim the truth when he said that he preferred being here rather than NERV, but something was lacking and he knew exactly what it was. He missed the people. As much as they sometimes embarrassed or infuriated him, he missed the people he knew, the friends he had made. Thinking about everything from Misato's horrible cooking to Rei's quiet attitude to Kensuke's manic tendencies filled him with wistfulness. He had even started to miss Asuka's insults, without which the day was incomplete. They had not parted on the best of terms, and that bothered him, for reasons he could not place. But then, everything about Asuka seemed to bother him on some level. She was easily the single most infuriating person he had ever and probably would ever meet. Nothing he did satisfied her, and everything he did angered her. Because of her, his bruises regularly had bruises and she treated him like something scraped from the bottom of her shoe.

And yet, there he was, thinking about her, wondering about her, worrying about her. Were she and the others alright? The thought of an alien fleet tearing through his city chilled Shinji to the bone. And even if the aliens left it alone, there was another danger, the one that had brought him to Tokyo-3 in the first place. When he had joined the RDF, Shinji thought he was getting the best of both worlds: escaping his father's influence while also being able to stop the Angels from killing people. Now he was lost on the other side of the solar system, unable to do anything. It was just the latest in a long string of failures, par for the course in the life of Shinji Ikari.

Checking his watch, Shinji realized it was time to get back to work. Gulping down the last bit of coffee, he started back towards the hangar bay. Perhaps it was better that he remain out here, where his failures could be offset by the successes of others. Asuka could have her glory, without him to get in the way. She was probably gloating about how much of an idiot he was to leave NERV right now. At least here there was someone who actually wanted him around.

000

Henry Gloval never had any great interest in flying. Growing up on a farm in the middle of the Russian heartland, he had always placed great importance on keeping one's feet on the ground. This was a philosophy that guided him through all of his life's decisions. The closest he had come to actually getting his feet off the ground was his commission as a submarine commander in the Russian Navy. Oddly enough, that commission led to his assignment as Captain of the SDF-1 and military governor of Macross Island, all because his sub had been at the right place at the right time when the Visitor crash-landed. That, and Admiral Hayes had a favorable opinion of the submarine commander that had eluded him for months on end. Strange were the ways of fate, and if his meeting with the senior officials onboard was any indication, they would become stranger still.

He was in his office, away from the greater mass of officers that now jockeyed for position on a battle fortress manned largely by fresh-faced graduates straight out of the Robotech Academy. With him were the two men onboard he trusted most: Emil Lang and Roy Fokker, the latter being counted with Gloval as among the few to survive the Visitor's arrival and the first to explore the innards of what would eventually become the SDF-1. The Captain had asked them to meet in order to get a better idea of what awaited all of them in the months ahead.

"At least a year?" Gloval asked.

"At least," Lang confirmed. "Without the fold drive, we have to rely on secondary propulsion, which simply doesn't have the power to break the light barrier."

"I suppose it's pointless to ask this, but have you thought about just building a new fold drive?" Roy wondered.

"I wish it were that simple, Commander. For one thing, we don't have the materials I would need to even begin such a project. Constructing the first foldspace integrator took more than a year and that was with the full resources of the UEG available to me. Granted, I was fumbling my way through most of it at the time, but it still requires resources we can't duplicate here."

"And the other thing?" Roy asked.

"I have spent over ten years examining every aspect of the SDF-1, primarily the fold drive, and after all that time I still only have vague notions of how anything works. The level of sophistication in even the smallest aspects is amazing and its only too often that I feel like a child trying to make sense of the intricacies of a circuit board. The base mathematics sometimes seems to operate on principles that defy the laws of physics. The power source for all of it remains a mystery in terms of how it manages to generate the energy reactions needed to keep things working. When I constructed the fold drive, I was mostly re-building what was already there. Building a new one from scratch would require another four years worth of research."

"I knew it was pointless to ask," Roy muttered.

"What about other resources? Do we have enough supplies to last the journey?" Gloval asked.

"Easily," Lang responded. "In addition to what we already had aboard before the jump, the ship itself is capable of providing nutritional supplements. Soon enough I'll be able to get the solar lamps functioning and we can simulate an Earth environment for planting attempts."

"I guess we lucked out on that one," Roy said.

"Luck has nothing to do with it. Whoever built this ship intended it to be completely self-sustainable, for reasons I can only guess at." Though he had not shared it with anyone, Lang had a private suspicion that the architect of the ship wanted to use it to get away from something.

"That covers our main concerns regarding the ship itself. Now, for the people occupying it." The Captain turned to Roy. "How are the civilians adjusting?"

"Well, we've gotten about twenty of the 70,000 living on Macross Island inside the ship. Right now they're basically living in various shantytowns. We can't keep them like that for much longer. We need to start finding them places to stay. Real places, as close to what they're used to as possible."

"I've already working on a solution to that, Commander. All goes well; they should be more than happy with what they get." Lang asserted. Gloval raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't mentioned anything to me yet."

"I apologize, Captain, but I wanted to have everything ready before presenting it to you. Force of habit, you might say."

Gloval let out a quiet 'harumph', but decided to let that one go. Emil Lang was never going to let go of his independent streak, no matter how much he might be pressured to do otherwise.

"Whatever you've got in your workshop, I just hope you get it done pretty quick, otherwise we might have to face down a riot. I know I'm not the only one who wants to avoid something like that." Roy advised.

"I share Commander Fokker's sentiments, doctor. I'll expect to see a report on this proposal in the morning." Gloval added.

"Of course, of course."

"Now, what about our pilots? We will certainly be needing them a great deal in the months ahead. Will there be any problems there?"

"Nah. I know my guys - if they were going to act up, they would have done so by now. The only thing on their minds is getting home and taking another crack at our E.T.s" Roy had complete confidence in his voice.

"All due respect Commander, but I hope they won't get their chance for awhile," Lang remarked.

"There is one thing we need to worry about – numbers." Roy said. "Once we get things settled, I want to start recruiting out of the civilians. They're the only chance we have at keeping enough Veritechs in the air."

"Use whatever methods you deem necessary, Commander."

Roy nodded in acknowledgment.

"Well gentlemen, it is late and we have much to prepare for. We'll meet again tomorrow. Now, I believe it would be wise to get some rest and I mean actual sleep, doctor." Gloval shot a look at the scientist, who shrugged.

"Dismissed."

Roy and Dr. Lang rose from their seats and the former saluted. The scientist was already outside the room when the Captain spoke.

"There is one more thing, Commander."

Roy stopped and turned to face Gloval.

"Your pet project, the Ikari boy – how is he doing?"

There was a part of Roy that considered answering by saying "Well, he's still a walking emotional breakdown, with enough psychological baggage to fill a luggage rack. However, I've kept on him and he's steadily showing signs of improvement. A few more months and I might just make him into a stable, relatively normal human being." Instead of this, however, he offered a far briefer response:

"The kid's doing okay. I think he'll pay off."

"Good. I take it you aren't worried he'll have trouble adapting to our new situation?"

"Shinji's more durable than people like to give him credit for. He did amazingly well for a teenager flying his first combat mission."

"Mm. Perhaps your assertion about his previous experience with NERV was correct after all."

"Trust me Captain, we have nothing to worry about. Heck, I bet the guys at NERV have been doing nothing but kicking themselves over the loss of their best pilot."

000

A sort of muted apprehension had settled over the Geofront during the week that followed the mysterious attack on Macross Island. No one there could put this feeling into words, possibly because no one knew how to. All discussion of what might have happened was done in quiet tones, far from the ears of either the commander or sub-commander. In the case of the former, this was made easier by his sudden absence, due to a summons from the UN General Assembly, of all things. Most of the personnel attempted to simply go about their jobs, attempting to subsume their anxiety under the daily tasks that NERV required in order to keep functioning. There were others, however, who could not force the concerns from their mind, and thus found themselves constantly preoccupied with attempts to uncover just what happened on that South Pacific island.

One of these individuals was Toji Suzuhara, recently appointed to the status of pilot for Evangelion Unit-03. Perhaps it was his stubborn personality traits at work or perhaps a greater loyalty towards his missing friend than he expected to have. Whatever the reasons, he had consistently pressed anyone and everyone he could for information about the attack. His queries often yielded little more than frustration, due to the outright refusal of the UEG to make any sort of official statement on the subject. This only served to incense the Fourth Child even further.

He was joined in this exasperation by Major Katsuragi, whose feelings were far more aroused that his. This was due to the fact that, as a relatively high-ranking member of NERV, she should ostensibly have access to some small piece of information, even if she had to use back channels to get it. Unfortunately, her efforts all met with similar brick walls of silence. No one could or would say anything about what happened. She had practically begged Kaji to use every last trick he knew to find out _something_, but even his efforts met with failure. It was a stonewalling of epic proportions, but Misato would later decide that she should not have been surprised, considering how well-kept a secret the existence of Macross Island had been in the first place.

Then, suddenly, a rumor began to circulate that an explanation was finally going to be offered to the public. Fuyutsuki, when asked outright about it, refused to comment. He did, however, say that all NERV personnel should be present the next day. And so it was that everyone employed by NERV in some fashion found themselves inside the Geofront, wondering if the truth might finally be known.

"It's been peculiar, that's for sure," Kaji announced, leaning against a guard rail.

"Is it always this cloak and dagger around here?" Toji asked.

"Pretty much," Misato replied, her voice not nearly as upbeat as usual. The week had left her tired, on various levels.

The three of them were alone, near the immobile form of Unit-01, which added its particularly ominous air to the conversation.

"Where are the other two?" Toji asked, looking around. "They should be here by now."

"I saw Asuka a few minutes ago. Not sure where she went." Kaji responded.

"She hasn't been sticking to you like glue? That's…unusual," Misato said.

"Pilot Sohryu is currently in the locker room. She made it clear to me upon asking that she places no urgency on arriving soon." Rei explained as she walked into view.

"Figures. She wouldn't know decency if it came up and hit her in the head," Toji muttered.

"If the level of activity near the control room is an accurate indication, I believe that the commander has arrived." Rei added, either not hearing or choosing not to respond to the Fourth Child's remark.

"Better get going, then. Something tells me this one is going to be good." Kaji prompted and the group began to move.

"Hey, uh, Ayanami – you okay? I haven't seen you in awhile. You okay after what happened? I didn't figure you for the type to faint." Toji asked. She had suddenly collapsed a few hours after the attack on the island began. He knew that Shinji worried over her condition and with his friend absent, Toji felt that someone had to step up.

"My physical condition is acceptable, pilot Suzuhara." She responded. It was technically the truth – her synch rate had finally stabilized after her fainting spell, as though some outside influence was gone.

"You sure? Dr. Akagi gave you a clean bill of health?"

"I am fine."

Toji gave a mental shrug, deciding to let the matter drop. The group was soon within eyesight of Gendo Ikari, his face a stone mask, as usual. Once he entered, everyone stopped working, no matter what it was they were doing. All eyes fell upon him. The attention was so focused that no one noticed Asuka's quiet arrival. Then, finally, he began to speak.

"As you all know, a week ago there was an attack on Macross Island by forces unknown. In the time since then, all information relating to the incident has been classified while the UEG performed an investigation. That investigation has now authorized the release of this official statement: the attack was carried out by members of resurgent factions of the Anti-Unification League in an attempt to destroy the SDF-1 in a show of force. Their attempt succeeded. It is believed that they successfully breached the reactor within the SDF-1, which resulted in an explosion that wiped out the surrounding area. As of right now, Macross Island no longer exists."

The shock was palpable. No one said a word.

"Surveys of the area revealed nothing more than the wreckage of naval vessels. It is believed that the attackers underestimated the strength of the explosion and were caught in the blast. There were no survivors of the attack."

Gendo then calmly turned and exited, leaving behind a number of dumbstruck individuals. For several minutes, silence reigned unopposed until Toji finally put to words what occupied everyone's mind.

"Shinji's…dead? That…that can't be. There's got to be some kind of mistake. They need to keep looking or…or _something!_"

The Fourth Child looked around desperately for someone who might support him. Misato looked ready to cry, whereas Kaji's face was filled with anger.

"Anti-Unification League? Bull. Those guys have been out of business for years. Whatever's left doesn't have nearly the manpower or resources to launch something as big as this. We're being lied to. Something really big must have happened on that island. Something that an entire world government would want to keep it secret."

"Like what?" Misato asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

Rei, meanwhile, felt something inside of her tear apart. It frightened her, not only because she was _feeling_ something, but because of just how much of it she did feel. This sudden onset of _emotion_ hit her like nothing else ever had. It was a pain so unlike anything that had been perpetrated against her body and so much worse. For the first time in her life, the sense of emptiness was completely gone, replaced by a profound sense of loss. She turned away so that no one could see a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Asuka was nowhere near the others. She had departed before the commander had finished speaking. It was not necessary for her to stay – she knew what he had to say. More importantly, Asuka knew that she couldn't remain near the others, because of what they would see. Instead, she ran away as fast as she could, into the deepest parts of the base, far from where anyone could see her. Then, alone with her pain and her abandonment, the great Asuka Langley Sorhyu began to cry. She remained there for the rest of the day.

* * *

I'd like to take a moment to give a nod to LD, who's acting as both sounding board and editor for this little story of mine. I appreciate it.

Also - I know I'm late introducing Rick into the narrative proper. Next chapter, promise.


	5. Reminders

Chapter Five: Reminders

_The initial exodus of the SDF-1 from Earth marked the beginning of a conflict that remains wholly unique in all of human history. It was in many ways a proxy war, fought by individuals disconnected from the greater whole of their respective societies. This naturally bore fruit in how those forces which came into direct contact would affect each other. From a human perspective, the early months of the war were notable for their uncertainty, both for the denizens of the SDF-1 and those who remained on Earth. In the race to ascertain perspective, older problems were overlooked and partially forgotten. That did not prevent these problems from still existing, however._

-"Drawing the Lines", _History of the First Robotech War, Vol. IX_

"Are the clamps secure?" the workman asked.

"Almost," Shinji answered, his Battloid outside the docking area. "The mechanism is moving a little slow."

"I was afraid of that," Dr. Lang said, his voice audible over the comm. "Shinji, see if you can ease them into place manually, one at a time."

"Roger." Shinji said, and then moved his Veritech to the first connection point.

It was now over a week since the SDF-1 had made its fold jump to the far end of the solar system and repair work was well underway. The 70,000 inhabitants of Macross Island were safely inside the battle fortress and construction on the new living areas had begun. Some people, of which Shinji was one, had taken to calling it a re-construction, since most of the work actually involved moving entire buildings from the ice-covered island to the new foundations being prepared inside what had been the main cargo hold of the SDF-1 and then restoring what was there.

When he had first heard about the plan, the boy had thought it was a joke – how could one simply move an entire city, building by building, into a spaceship and expect everything to function properly? Dr. Lang had explained the mechanics of it to him twice and he still did not understand half of it. Yet, somehow, it seemed to work. Several city blocks were already inside, complete with electricity (usually) and running water (often, but not always, due to what Lang figure to be a leak somewhere within the hidden corridors of the fortress).

Shinji, however, remained on recovery duty for the Prometheus. Captain Gloval did not want to simply abandon the aircraft carriers out in the middle of space and thus Dr. Lang had been tasked with finding a way of bringing them along. His solution had been quite simple – attach them to the SDF-1 itself and use them to launch fighters. This was the focus of Shinji's current objective, completing the job of connecting the two ships. Special clamps had been fitted to both the Prometheus and the SDF-1 in order to lock them together. The trouble now was actually getting the clamps to work right. Everyone involved was under pressure to finish the task as quickly as possible, since the launch bays would be inoperable while everything was being fitted together. If the aliens attacked, there would be no way to deploy the Veritechs, leaving the SDF-1 a sitting duck.

"I'm at the first clamp," Shinji reported.

"Alright my boy, now take the main latch and try to fit it into the receiving unit." Dr. Lang said.

"Understood."

With a surprising amount of difficulty, Shinji place the Battloid's hands onto the latch. For a brief moment, the Third Child missed the ability to synch with his mecha. It made fighting more dangerous, but it also made it easier to get the machine's hand to properly grip things. The Veritech's controls seemed crude in comparison to the Eva for more delicate work. Then again, it occurred to Shinji that 'delicate work' was not something the Evas were ever deployed for.

"I think I've got it," Shinji said as the latch fit into place.

"The system reports a lock," Lang replied. "Well done. Now, only nine more to go."

_On the Prometheus_, Shinji thought, well aware that the process would have to be repeated for the Daedalus. Silently, he hoped that Skull eleven would be the one to pull that duty.

On the other side of the SDF-1, Corporal Jonathan Dozen's Veritech began to act strangely, suddenly weaving about, unable to keep a straight line. This erratic behavior soon came to the attention of Commander Hayes, who supervised all fighter activity. Irritated, she commed the pilot.

"Skull eleven, your flight pattern is irregular. Is there a problem?"

There was no response. Normally, the pilot's face would be on the screen above her. Instead, it was blank.

"Skull eleven, are you experiencing equipment malfunction? Do you require maintenance?"

Inside the cockpit of Skull eleven, what remained of Jonathan's mind pondered her question. Maintenance. To keep from failure or decline. The act of keeping a machine functional. All Veritechs were expected to undergo it regularly, but that could not have been allowed, so something had needed to be done. What was it? Oh yes, when the deck hand reported something strange about the Veritech, he had eaten him. It was a bit messy, and the copper aftertaste was distracting, but it needed to be done. Still, the machine – _part of Zor's Blasphemy_ – did need to be checked. He would have to get someone to look at it after killing everyone aboard.

"Skull eleven, please respond," Commander Hayes tried again.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Claudia asked, looking up from her station.

"I don't know. It's probably equipment failure. We had better bring him in." Lisa answered and then switched to a different frequency. "Skull three and four, come in."

"Is there a problem, sir?" Skull four asked.

"Skull eleven may be experiencing equipment failure. I need the two of you to bring him into the holding area inside the Daedalus until we can get the launch bays open"

"Roger," Skull four said.

"Understood," Shinji answered.

The two Battloids flew over to their comrade, both noticing it's erratic movement. Shinji thought the Veritech's outer casing looked odd, as though it had cracks from trying to fold in on itself. He tried to contact the pilot.

"Skull eleven, this is Skull three, can you hear me? Are you alright?" Shinji asked while Skull four closed in, arms reached out to grab hold of the Guardian.

Once again, Jonathan's mind was examined. That voice, it had some significance. There was a connection it had to something important, but what could it…wait…yes…

Skull eleven turned towards the other two Veritechs and extended its left arm, ramming straight through Skull four, causing it to explode. Quickly hitting the feet jets, Shinji avoided a similar fate, but still received damage to his Battloid's torso.

"Whoa!" he shouted.

"Skull three, what just happened? Did Skull eleven open fire?" Commander Hayes demanded.

"No sir, it didn't open fire. Its arm…stretched out and punched right through Skull four!"

"What?!" Both Lisa and Claudia exclaimed, neither sure they were hearing right.

Skull eleven, meanwhile, had raised its gatling cannon and aimed it straight at Shinji. The boy switched to Fighter mode and flew in a zig-zag to avoid the blasts.

"_Now_ he's opened fire!" Shinji shouted.

"Skull eleven, you are ordered to cease fire and surrender! Repeat, you will cease fire and surrender or we will shoot you down!" Lisa yelled, desperately trying to regain control of the situation.

The rest of the bridge had lost interest in whatever duties they were previously working on and were now focusing on this new development. Kim gave a silent prayer for Shinji's safety.

The Corporal certainly needed all the good thoughts he could get since Skull eleven, still in Guardian mode, had decided to pursue him. He tried everything he could think of to shake the Veritech, short of the really dangerous tricks Roy had taught him. What was going on? One minute everything was fine and the next a pilot decides to use him as target practice. Did the guy just snap? And how were they going to stop him without killing him? As cannon fire streaked across his field of vision, Shinji decided that his first priority should be staying alive. Everything else could wait.

"Status report," Gloval said as he entered the bridge.

"Skull eleven had gone rogue, sir. He's destroyed Skull four and is currently pursuing Skull three." Lisa explained.

"Has he made any statement why?"

"No sir, we haven't been able to make contact with him."

"Do we have any other Veritechs active?"

"Skull fifteen and seventeen, sir. I was just about to give them orders to engage."

"Do so. Bring him in alive if possible, but if he forces their hand, tell our pilots they have clearance to use lethal force."

While Commander Hayes relayed instructions to the Veritechs, Gloval slumped into his chair and folded his hands in front of his face. This had to happen now, of all times, when their ability to respond was minimal. Moreover, was this just the first of many such incidents to come? Were other pilots going to turn on their comrades? The Captain fervently hoped otherwise.

Outside, Shinji continued to be hounded by the crazed Veritech. Repeatedly he had tried to reason with him; to get him to calm down, but just trying to stay out of the incoming fire rendered his attempts clumsy at best. His heart racing, the boy made a sharp turn downwards and shifted modes, hoping that he could swing around and come up behind his pursuer and then grab him while in Battloid mode.

"Skull eleven, break off your pursuit and surrender or we will open fire," Skull fifteen announced as he and his wingman approached in Fighter mode. "Come on Johnny, don't make us do this."

Again there was no immediate response, but after about a minute a cracked, hollow voice was audible.

"…Humanity has sinned…and must be punished…"

Skull eleven then turned from its pursuit of Skull three to confront the newcomers. The two Veritechs weaved around the cannon fire and came to a decision.

"This is Skull fifteen. I have locked on to the hostile." There was a pause. "Firing."

Two missiles streaked through space, intent on eliminating the rogue aircraft. They never reached their target however, because a strange, barely visible barrier materialized in front of the hostile. The missiles passed through and then sputtered off their course.

"What the hell?" Skull fifteen spouted. "Commander, I've had a weapons malfunction. I'm coming around for another pass." He did not know what had gone wrong.

Shinji did and felt a familiar sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. It did not seem possible, but there was no way to dismiss the evidence right in front of his eyes. He should have realized it much sooner, but once he saw that barrier the Third Child knew exactly what was going on and what they were facing.

"Skull fifteen, stay back! That's not an ordinary Veritech, it's an Angel!"

It was too late. Using its AT field, the Angel once again deflected the incoming missiles. It then jetted towards its enemy and, extending its arms, tore through the Fighter's cockpit.

"Sweet Jesus!" Skull seventeen exclaimed.

Then the Angel underwent a kind of twisted version of the Veritech's transformation ability, switching from Guardian to a mangled parody of a Battloid. The cracked and bent metal casing was now clearly apparent on a machine strangely out of proportion with itself. Parts of the body did not match up their other halves and the head had strange lesions and protrusions covering it, with the single red eye of a VF-1A now contorted into three separate shapes, with an awkward jawline attached. Gatling cannon still in its hand, it opened fire on Skull seventeen and incinerated it instantly.

"Sir, we've lost both Skull fifteen and seventeen!" Lisa announced.

"What is that thing? One of the aliens?" Sammie asked.

"No, you heard the Corporal – it's an Angel." Gloval replied.

"But, how could one of those things be all the way out here?" Claudia wondered aloud.

Shinji was asking the exact same question, though his contemplations on the subject were often interrupted by the Angel's renewed assault. With both of the other Veritechs destroyed, what had been Skull eleven had now decided to split its attention between attacking Shinji and tearing through the SDF-1's hull. Every time the pilot got within a certain range, the Angel would open fire, forcing him to back off. In the meantime, it maneuvered around towards the backside of the battle fortress and started ripping apart the armor plating near the engines.

"Corporal Ikari, you have experience fighting these creatures. Can you tell us what it's after?" Gloval asked.

"I…I don't know," Shinji stammered. He was never entirely sure why the Angels attacked Tokyo-3, except that it probably had something to do with the Evangelions. What could it want out here?

"Captain, I've run a projection based on the Angel's movements and choice of area to breach the hull," Dr. Lang announced on an open channel. "I believe it is heading straight towards the Reflex Furnace!"

Shinji gulped. If the Furnace was breached, the explosion would take out everything within a mile radius of the SDF-1. There would be no chance for anyone to survive.

"Is there anything in that area we can send against it?" Gloval asked.

"All Destroids are still in the forward holding area, sir. They'd never make it in time." Claudia responded.

"Claudia, mobilize the Destroids. Perhaps the Corporal can slow the Angel long enough for them to arrive." Gloval ordered

"Captain, the Angel has almost pierced the outer hull!" Kim announced as a warning light on her console went off.

"Corporal Ikari, we need you to do everything you can to destroy that creature," Gloval said.

"But what about the pilot? I can't just murder him!" Shinji replied.

"The alternative is the death of every man, woman and child aboard this ship! Now do your duty!" Gloval ordered.

"I…I…"

Whatever Shinji might have said was lost, since he had drifted once more into the Angel's range. This time, instead of firing the cannon, it jetted towards him, arms extended. Jerking the controls, Shinji avoided a head-on collision but came off with some damage. The Angel went after him again and a kind of back and forth ensued as both combatants, still in Battloid mode, jetted around the underside of the SDF-1. The battle outside was paralleled by the one inside the Third Child's mind. How could he just murder another human being, someone innocent and undeserving of death? Yes, he had killed recently, but those had been willing attackers, invaders deliberately out to kill innocent people. It was different from this, with someone basically held hostage by an Angel. Whatever else he was, Shinji knew that he could not – would not – be a murderer. But what would be the consequences of this decision? How could he save both the captured pilot and the SDF-1?

Shinji's internal debate almost cost him his life when, distracted by his thoughts, he failed to avoid the Angel's latest attack. It's extended right arm grabbed hold of the Veritech's leg and threw the mecha towards the SDF-1. The aircraft landed hard, then floated back up. Alarms sounded inside the cockpit of the Battloid, warning its pilot that the machine could not take much more damage. Shinji switched to Fighter mode and avoided a lunge from the Angel. Another alarm went off and the control board showed that the engine was close to giving out, with the right thruster already on its way.

"These things aren't very durable," Shinji muttered.

The Angel had also shifted to Fighter mode, though with less than complete success. In addition to the continued asymmetry, its left hand stuck out rather prominently from its underside and the tail wings were upside down. It fired its afterburners and closed in on its opponent, whose own engine was ready to sputter and die. Deciding that his current mode was a lost cause, Shinji switched back to Battloid and watched as the Angel sped right past him. Through sheer luck, he managed to catch a glimpse of the cockpit. The pilot was there and appeared to be in one piece. The Angel immediately shifted to Battloid as well, but with greater difficulty than the previous transformation. When the cockpit folded down to form the Battloid's chest, the misplaced left hand became a snag that prevented the change from finishing. Then Angel then took out its cannon and, after a couple wild discharges, shot off its own hand, which started to float away. This act of dismemberment allowed the Angel to finish shifting to Battloid mode. It then grabbed the hand and tried to fit it back on.

Shinji, alarms still flashing in his eyes, watched all of this as he tried to keep his Veritech from falling apart. He cut as much power from the engine as he could while still being able to move. It did little good and he figured that, at best, he only had about several minutes before everything went completely dead, with himself following shortly. He had to think of something right now, or the deaths of 70,000 people would be on his hands. His mind raced over everything he had seen the Angel do, everything he knew about fighting them. And then it came to him.

He shifted back to Guardian mode, hoping his opponent would do the same. In a rare show of good luck, it did and with just as much trouble as before. Hitting his afterburners, Shinji flew right towards the Angel and more specifically the out-jutted cockpit area. The Third Child aimed his own cannon, drew in a breath, and fired. The blast tore straight through the nose section, dividing it and the cockpit from the rest of the Angel. He then slowed just enough so that when they crashed into each other, it would not immediately destroy his Veritech. Ramming into the Angel, Shinji distanced it from the former pilot and even more alarms gave off their warnings. Angered, the creature swung wildly and cracked open Shinji's cockpit while simultaneously collapsing it on him. His left arm caught on something as the decompression pulled him upward.

"Arrgh!" he exclaimed as he felt something break. Instinctively, he hit the feet jets and managed to use them to push the Angel back a bit. Adrenaline surging through him, Shinji saw his chance and loosed every missile he had. Confused by a mixture of pain and rage, the Angel did not think to extend its AT field and thus 15 Reflex missiles slammed into it. The resulting fireball consumed it completely before itself being enveloped by the vacuum of space.

Battered, slightly broken, but very much alive, Corporal Shinji Ikari of the Robotech Defense Force allowed a smile to cross his face.

000

It took over fifteen minutes for the recovery vehicles to make it to the tattered remnants of Shinji's Veritech. Strangely enough, they were some of the most peaceful fifteen minutes of his life. As he ever so slowly drifted away from the SDF-1, the boy had the chance to just sit back and observe the stars around him. They were such beautiful things, points of light against the surrounding dark. He thought about the first time he had seen them this close, when he exited Earth's atmosphere to rendezvous with the SDF-1. It seemed so odd to him that he only had the chance to enjoy the stars like this after moments of fighting. Perhaps it was a kind of recompense. Part of him was disappointed when the searchlight of a rescue shuttle hit his face, bringing his moment of serenity to an end. The immense feeling of satisfaction that came from seeing Skull eleven's cockpit carried into the landing bay almost made up for it. Waiting for the deck hands to cut him out of his own cockpit was less gratifying, especially when they tried to lift him out by his arms.

"Arrrrrraaahhhh!"

"Careful boys, the Corporal is quite fragile," Roy joked, watching as Shinji was carried out.

"I think it's broken," Shinji said as he looked at his left arm.

"Well, if it's broken, then it should hurt when I do this," Roy said and poked the boy's arm.

"_OW!_"

"Yep, it's broken," Roy chuckled.

"Why did you do that?!"

"Oh come on, surely the hero of the hour can take a little nudging. After all, you did just save the SDF-1, everyone aboard, and the hijacked Veritech pilot. If you don't keep a stiff upper lip, people might think you're only human and we certainly can't have that. At least, not until you've gotten a couple girls' phone numbers." Roy ignored the dirty look sent his way while he was talking.

"You can be very cruel, Roy." Shinji replied. "How's Jonathan?"

"They've got him on a stretcher over there," Roy motioned with his head. "He should be okay.

Shinji looked over to where the paramedics were gathered. There was concern in his next question, but also a bit of curiosity.

"Can I talk to him?"

"Don't see why not, but you'd better get over there quick."

Roy helped his friend up and waved for the paramedics to wait a moment. The man's eyes were closed, but he seemed to be mumbling something. As Shinji leaned in closer, Dozen's eyes shot open and he pulled the boy close. Then, in a whisper, he spoke.

"Zor's blasphemy spreads…only she can offer redemption…Third Child."

Before Shinji could respond he was pushed to the ground as Jonathan leapt to his feat and began attacking everyone around him. Paramedics attempting to restrain him were tossed aside, one thrown directly into Roy. A guard trying to intervene was quickly disarmed and his weapon grabbed. Looking directly into Shinji's eyes, Jonathan raised the blaster to his head and fired. The body hit the floor a second later, a burnt hole in the side of its head. The universe seemed to stop for Shinji as he sat there, staring into the eyes of a dead man. They seemed to hold him there, binding him with a silent accusation. Time only resumed its normal course when the boy felt something wet touch his hand. Unable to move his left arm, Shinji raised his right and saw it covered with a red liquid. Several seconds had to pass before his mind could recognize the substance as human blood. It covered the palm of his hand completely, small bits dripping onto his uniform, staining it.

"Shinji?"

Something was speaking his name. The boy's eyes immediately turned back to meet those belonging to the dead body next to him.

"Shinji."

How could it be talking to him if it was dead? Its lips were not moving, so how could it be forming words? Shinji began to wonder if he was dead as well, and that was why he could hear the words.

"Shinji!"

Hands forced the boy's head to look upwards, into the face of Roy Fokker. The soldier was saying something.

"Shinji, are you alright?"

The boy's mouth opened, but no sound came from inside it. Then, slowly…

"I…I think I…" the boy didn't finish, instead looking at his red hand.

"Hey, hey, don't lose it on me, kid." Roy said, then shouted at the paramedics. "Give me some help with him!"

Another stretcher was wheeled over and Shinji felt himself lifted from the ground.

"Easy with him, he's already got a broken arm!" Roy scolded the medics before turning back to his friend. "Kid, give me a sign of life here."

"Roy, I…I failed," Shinji whispered. "I couldn't…I couldn't save him."

"Commander Fokker, I'll have to ask you to step back," one of the medics said as they loaded Shinji into the back of a waiting ambulance. Roy moved to follow him in, but an arm on his shoulder distracted him.

"Sir, what do we do about the body?"

"_Do?!_ You clear the area and let the medics clean it up and do their job!" Roy snarled, not in the mood for questions when a friend needed him. He turned back to the ambulance only to find that it was already leaving.

"Hey, wait!" he cried, but the medics did not notice him and sped off, carrying with them a fifteen-year-old boy who still had an innocent man's blood dripping from his hand.

"I failed," he whispered, admitting his guilt.

On the landing bay floor, the corpse of what had once been Jonathan Dozen began to go cold. Blood no longer flowed from the wound.

000

The cruiser was but one of many, a small part of an even larger force. It was the tiniest fraction of what was probably the largest fleet in history. Yet, somewhat paradoxically, it was one of the most important, not because of any special armaments or unique design, but because of the individuals who resided in it. Two individuals, to be specific. One was a towering figure, easily identifiable thanks both to the metal plate that covered old scars as well as the simple force of personality that comes with being among the mightiest warriors of his race. The other was not nearly so impressive upon first glance. In fact, he was often looked down upon by certain officers, referred to as an insult, a disgrace to a long warrior tradition. These claims were partially true, owing to the individual's somewhat deformed physique, which left him unable to act as a warrior. However, he compensated quite nicely for his physical flaws with a keen mind that had made him the personal advisor (and perhaps the closest possible thing to a friend) to the aforementioned great warrior. This was why many of the mutterings against him were done with a hushed breath.

Even if such slanders were more open, they would not overly concern Exedore of the Zentraedi. He had more important things to worry about, namely a certain battle fortress that had managed to slip through their fingers. The Minister of Affairs (a worthless title if ever there was one) had spent the days since the ship's disappearance pouring over sensor and coordinate data of every shape and kind in order to get an idea of just where Zor's battle fortress had gone. As tasks went, it was more humiliating than anything else, an indication of how some of the finest Zentraedi soldiers alive were completely surprised by the ship's fold. Such an act simply should not have been possible – a fold by a ship like that while deep within an atmosphere? Preposterous. Ridiculous. Also, a reality. Once again Zor had thwarted the will of the Robotech Masters, even from beyond the grave. If he was only half as aggravating in life as he was in death, it was no wonder that the great powers of the galaxy wished him dead. Idly, Exedore would often wonder what the man would have been like to meet, he who was responsible for the advent of Protoculture and all that had been wrought in its name.

Yet such musings were but more irrelevancies. Zor was dead and gone and now what remained was the reclamation of the Protoculture matrix he had stowed away inside his personal battle fortress. Exedore felt certain that he had correctly ascertained the ship's general location. Once informed, the fleet's commander would give the order to fold and the chase would resume. This was the positive side of things. On the negative – or at the least, dubious – side were two very interesting facts about those in possession of the Protoculture matrix. Facts the fleet commander should be informed of, but would not necessarily improve his mood. This was why Exedore was currently making his way through the corridors that led to the cruiser's command bubble. As he walked, his mind reviewed the data available and formed conclusions, based on everything from the condition of enemy combatants to the amount of pressure the Robotech Masters would place on the Zentraedi Supreme Commander to retrieve the matrix as quickly as possible. When the doors opened to reveal the observation bubble overlooking astrogation, Exedore had concluded that a speedy resolution to their mission was not merely preferable, but necessary.

"Commander, I am ready to submit my report." Exedore said.

"Very good. I must admit curiosity about what you found so unsettling," a solid rumble of a voice replied. It was a voice that could only belong to Breetai, veteran of a thousand battles, whose victories against the hated Invid had cost half his face but won him the unconditional loyalty of his troops and the regard of the Supreme Commander himself.

"I have prepared transvids taken during our attack on the alien's homeworld. They reveal something of note," Exedore said and began playing the images on the display screen that materialized in front of the command platform.

"Are those…?" Breetai wondered aloud. "Micronians! Hmm, so our enemies are Micronians." He folded his arms and began to understand why his advisor had given him forewarning.

"Yes, Commander. Since our initial encounter I have conducted investigations into all available data concerning Micronians and have discovered some items of note."

"Such as?"

"Several legends warning all Zentraedi to maintain a clear distance from them. All of them were quite old, possibly dating back to the Great Transition, but each held clear evidence of coming from the Robotech Masters."

Breetai stroked his chin and thought. It was rare for the Robotech Masters to be so obtuse in their wishes. They simply gave orders for the Zentraedi to carry out. That was the way things were done, the way things had always been. Exedore continued to speak.

"It is my opinion that we vacate this area of space as quickly as possible and make no attempt to return to this planet unless it is with the express permission of the Supreme Commander."

"Agreed. There is nothing her now that can interest us." Breetai noticed the expression on his advisor's face and decided his previous statement may have been presumptuous. "Is there something else?"

"Yes, Commander. We have performed several scans of the planet since our arrival and they have revealed slightly disturbing findings."

The Projecbeam shifted to display an image of the planet's surface taken from a distance.

"In the planet's northern hemisphere is an isolated land mass with a large amount of defensive weaponry. We have observed…_emanations_ coming from this land mass, specifically this city area."

The field shifted once more to display and overhead view of the buildings and streets of Tokyo-3.

"What kind of emanations?"

"I am unsure. We have nothing in our archives that provides a direct match, but they do show a strong similarity to readings taken of Optera prior to the bombardment."

Now Breetai understood why his advisor had been so awkward about relating this information. Any connection to the Optera of long ago would have to be handled carefully, especially in light of the fact that the Protoculture matrix had resided on this planet for what must have been a lengthy amount of time.

"These emanations are contained within this one land mass?"

"Yes Commander, though we also recorded faint readings from the planet's southern polar region. Presumably some event transpired there and left residual traces. I cannot know for certain without direct study."

"Hm. It appears we have stumbled upon something of importance. We may be returning to this planet sooner than we think."

"You may be correct, Commander."

"We will report this to the Supreme Commander along with our current progress towards the recovery of Zor's battle fortress. All ships, prepare to fold!"

One after another, the ships of Breetai's small fleet disappeared into foldspace, ready to continue their chase, leaving the blue planet alone for now. However, should their masters will it; they and many others would return and eliminate every living thing on it.

000

The minute Roy stepped into the Captain's office; he knew there would be trouble. Gloval had his back to the door and a clear plume of smoke was rising from the man's trademark pipe. It was never a good sign when those two actions came in tandem with one another. Still, Roy was not someone to back down from a fight and so he approached the Captain's desk and came to attention.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Sit down, Commander." Gloval said, still not turning his chair around.

Roy did so, and waited for the Captain to continue. It took a couple minutes for him to finally turn his chair around.

"I assume you are fully aware of the incident from earlier today."

"Yes, sir."

"I find it strange that such a creature could hijack one of our pieces of equipment so easily without any sort of warning." Gloval stated.

"Well, these things have shown a tendency to come out of nowhere. The last one was basically a shadow on the ground and swallowed a couple city blocks before it was stopped."

"We should count ourselves lucky, then, that this one was a little more conventional in its tactics."

"I see nothing wrong in being thankful for minor miracles."

"Still, we should not let our success give us cause to become complacent. After today, we will have to take precautions against another such incident."

"Naturally, though I don't think we'll have to worry about anything exactly like today again. Everything we have on the Angels suggests that they like to mix up their tactics as time goes on."

"That may be, but I still want a greater scrutiny placed upon the status of all Veritechs and Destroids, along with the mental condition of their pilots."

"You're the Captain. I'll have to talk to Maistroff about it. He guards his Destroids like a dog with a bone."

"Maistroff knows that attention has to be paid to the individuals piloting our mecha, in order to make sure that they will always act accordingly."

Roy started to get impatient. They both knew what Gloval was really talking about, but for some reason the Captain seemed to be dancing around it. This kind of song and dance was always something that aggravated him to no end, but he knew that directly challenging the Captain about it would be a mistake.

"I agree. A good mindset is crucial for a pilot, especially when they're facing a familiar enemy. I thought Corporal Ikari demonstrated that nicely."

At first, Gloval did not respond, instead opening a file that had been lying in front of him. A quick glance revealed to Roy that it was on Shinji.

"It is interesting that the Angel was dealt with by the one person we have onboard who has the most experience with the threat it represents. Perhaps we should count ourselves lucky that the Corporal was on duty when the creature attacked."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

"I wonder, though, about the Corporal's ability to handle orders given to him under pressure. Some might say that his reluctance to immediately engage the Angel placed the SDF-1 in unnecessary jeopardy."

"Maybe. 'Course, one could easily say that his reluctance to kill an innocent hostage points towards his moral character and bravery. Especially since said hostage was recovered intact, despite what might have happened afterward."

The two looked at each other for a moment, each trying to gauge the other's mood. Roy maintained his show of confident nonchalance, while Gloval appeared stoic. The Captain then moved his gaze back to his paperwork.

"That will be all, Commander."

"Actually, sir, while we're on the subject of Corporal Ikari, there is something else I would like to discuss with you…."

000

Shinji remained awake during the trip to the hospital, his mind almost afraid to become unconscious. Eventually the choice was taken out of his hands when one of the doctors decided that his arm would have to be worked on and promptly put him under. He was awakened over twenty-four hours later by the last thing he expected – sunlight on his face. Lifting his good arm to shield his eyes, the boy looked out his window to see a blue sky for the first time in almost two weeks. For a few minutes, he wondered if everything had been a dream – Macross Island, the SDF-1, the aliens – all of it a figment of his imagination. Soon enough, Misato would stop by to see how he was doing, maybe congratulate him for stopping the Angel, and then take him back to the apartment. Asuka would be there, waiting for him to fix dinner, probably wanting something other than a Japanese dish. Or maybe she would be outside his hospital room again, trying not to be seen as she peeked in on him. Out of wishful thinking more than anything else, Shinji turned to look at the door, hoping that perhaps he might catch a glimpse of red hair. Instead there was someone standing in the doorway, some flowers in her hand.

"Hi," Kim said, nervously. "I, uh, brought you some…weeds."

Shinji smiled at the weak attempt at humor, watching as she placed the flowers on the table next to him. She pulled up a chair and sat down at his bedside.

"Thank you," he replied, noticing that his voice sounded weaker than usual.

"Do you want a glass of water?" Kim asked.

"No, I'm okay."

Kim glanced around the room, feeling awkward.

"Sorry I couldn't bring you anything better looking. The gift shop was pretty sparse."

"They're nice, really."

"I just figured the guy who single-handedly saved everyone on the ship deserved something." she said. Shinji looked down.

"I didn't save everyone."

"What happened to him wasn't your fault. You did more than enough when you stopped that thing from taking out the Furnace."

"I didn't do enough. I should have been faster, should have stopped him from grabbing that gun. He was right there, in front of me. I could have done something. I should have done something."

He went silent for a moment and Kim thought he was finished, but then he spoke again.

"Every Angel I've gone up against has had something about it that made it uniquely horrifying. The only thing that stayed the same was how you killed it. Destroy the core, destroy the Angel. The problem is that each one always seems to…attack your soul more than the last. I just…I don't know if there's going to be anything left of me by the time it's done." He kept looking down as he talked, unable or unwilling to meet her eyes.

"Shinji, you're a good man. Most people wouldn't have event tried to save him, they would have taken him out without hesitation. But you didn't. You found a way to bring him back, even if it was for just a little while. Nothing will ever change that."

There was a sensation running up Shinji's broken arm and he looked to see what it was. He then noticed that Kim had both her hands around his, but before he could gather the courage to look at her a new voice distracted him.

"You should listen to the pretty girl, kid. She knows what she's talking about." Roy Fokker said as he entered the room.

"Oh, Commander Fokker!" Kim said, startled. She started to come to attention, but Roy waved it off.

"Keep sitting. I'm not worth getting up for." He looked at Shinji. "How's the arm?"

"Okay," Shinji replied. "Feels a little funny, but that's all."

"Good to hear. The docs say you'll be good to go by the morning, so you won't have to sit here and stare at walls for too much longer. Of course, you could spend the time looking at her, but she's got to get back on duty sometime."

Both Shinji and Kim looked very awkward after the man's teasing and had let go of each other's hand. Roy did not bother to hide his amusement. Shinji started to blush.

"So remember kid, I'll expect to see you suited back up once that arm heals." Roy said.

"Roy…I don't know if I can-" Shinji was interrupted before he could finish.

"Ah! Almost forgot to give you this little thing," Roy said as he opened a small black case with him he handed it to the confused boy.

"Is this…?" Shinji started to ask.

"In recognition of exemplary service, it has been decided that pilot Shinji Ikari shall be promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the Robotech Defense Force, with all the proper privileges and responsibilities to be granted accordingly." Roy announced in a mock-official tone.

"Congratulations!" Kim said.

"Roy…are you sure about this?" Shinji asked in disbelief.

"Kid, you went above and beyond the call on that last one. You saved the ship and rescued a fellow pilot from a dangerous situation. Anything that happened afterwards holds no bearing on you or your performance as an officer of the RDF. Not bad for someone who's only been on active duty for just a few weeks."

"I don't know what to say," Shinji admitted.

"Most people in my position would point out that a 'thank you' is good, but I prefer something along the lines of 'I bow before your blindingly great magnificence'." Roy puffed himself up slightly as he responded.

"I think you should just go with a 'thank you'," Kim whispered in Shinji's ear.

"Um, thank you Roy."

"Eh, I suppose that will do. But seriously kid, I am proud of you. That was some nice flying up there and I expect to see more of it."

"I…appreciate that, but I really hope I'll never have to do anything like that ever again," the boy responded. There was something else relating to the Angel that was bothering him. He did not voice this to either Kim or Roy, not wanting to burden them with whatever implications it might have. Still, he knew he would have to tell someone about it, if only to make sense of it in his own mind, not to mention what it might mean for any future encounters with the Angels.

000

True to Roy's pronouncement, Shinji was released from the hospital the following day, his left arm in a sling and orders to avoid strenuous activity. Shinji hailed a cab and soon found himself outside the improvised military base now located inside the ship it had originally been built around. From there he began his walk towards a certain hangar located on the outskirts of the base. When he first heard that it had been recovered from the mess that was now Macross Island, the boy had to wonder about the reasoning behind the decision to bring it aboard. Why that particular structure, when the object it had been meant to house was long gone, on the other side of the solar system? Surely it held no importance now, and may as well be abandoned with the rest of the garbage. Yet, if recent events were any indication, there may have been justifiable reasoning behind the doctor's decision to bring it and all its contents along.

Entering the hangar, Shinji's thoughts drifted back to the last time he had been here, over two months ago. Unit-01 had been locked down in the giant chair before him, while he had been sitting in front of it, trying to make a choice that would influence the rest of his life. The chair was now empty, but the ominous feeling he had when he looked upon it remained. If anything, it was stronger than ever.

"It never ceases to amaze me, the way things we leave behind continue to influence our lives," Emil Lang said as he walked up beside Shinji, his attention also on the chair. "Hard to believe it has only been a couple of months since the talk we had here."

"I…probably wouldn't be here if it hadn't happened," Shinji admitted, still looking forward. "I wanted to get away from the Evas so much, but I felt bound to them."

"Perhaps I should apologize to you, then. If not for me, you would be safe at home on Earth."

"Earth was never safe. I've been reminded of that."

"Ah yes, the reason you wanted to meet me here. A terrible tragedy, especially with what later happened to Mr. Dozen."

"It's not just what he did; it's what he said to me. He whispered something in my ear –'Zor's blasphemy spreads; only she can offer redemption Third Child'. And right before the Angel killed Skull fifteen, he said something about 'humanity having sinned'. It's like the Angel was talking through him to me. It knew who I was."

Shinji and the doctor had now turned to face each other. Lang considered the boy's statements.

"These certainly are ominous developments. We performed an autopsy on Mr. Dozen's body right after the suicide. I oversaw it myself."

"What did you find?"

"Surprisingly little. His body showed no obvious signs of transfiguration or biological manipulation. Perhaps if we had some idea as to when and how he came into contact with the Angel we would have a better idea about whether or not there had been sufficient time for any type of metamorphosis to occur. Then again, this entire incident is without precedent, so we are relying mostly on guesswork and supposition. There were some interesting variations in his brain, or a kind I have never seen before, though my knowledge of neurology is limited."

"Variations?"

"It appears that several areas were stimulated in order to increase memory capacity and retrieval ability. His mind was apparently picked apart and re-organized in order to better suit the Angel's needs. His statements may have been a reflection of this, an attempt to put into words he could understand the concepts that the Angel drilled into his mind."

"So, was that really him doing the talking?

"Possibly, but more likely it was his mind's way of expressing the desires the Angel had re-organized it to pursue."

"But what were those desires? And why single me out?"

"Those are questions I do not have answers for. We know so little about these creatures. At least, those of us outside of NERV. I have tried to access data about them, only to find it buried and sealed under the tightest of security. The status of Chief Engineer on the SDF-1 only takes one's clearance so far and everything about the Angels biology remains a closely guarded secret. I had hoped that once the RDF replaced NERV as the world's first line of defense against all global threats these files would soon become available to me. Were you ever given any detail about the functioning of the Angels?"

Shinji shook his head.

"No, not really. Everything they told us was limited to how to kill them. I doubt I would have understood Dr. Akagi anyway if she had told me."

"Ah yes, Dr. Akagi. She wouldn't be the easiest person to obtain information from."

"You know her?"

"I am acquainted with her. It was her mother that I was more familiar with. An…interesting woman, to say the least. Fascinating that they would both work on the same project."

A small part of Shinji's mind felt as though an important piece of information had fallen into his lap. This fact about the doctors Akagi was quickly placed in a mental folder for future reference. He wanted to pursue this, but the original subject took priority for the boy.

"Aren't the Angels listed as an extra-terrestrial threat? Shouldn't the RDF have been given full access at the outset? We already knew there were aliens heading our way."

"That was always strange to me as well. Everything I have made here was for the sole purpose of defending Earth from an extra-terrestrial force, but whenever a move was made to incorporate NERV into the UN Spacy there was a fierce resistance, often using a kind of double-speak about where the Angels came from and why they were NERV's sole responsibility. It was not until after Unit-01 was brought to Macross Island that any sort of headway was made into the barricade your father had erected around his authority."

That caused Shinji to quickly become sullen. He turned to look back at the empty chair.

"He would never tell me anything; never speak to me unless it had something to do with piloting."

"He never mentioned anything about where the Angels came from?"

"Nothing. And now there are two alien races out for humanity's blood." Shinji paused for a moment. "Maybe…maybe he might know what Jonathan meant when he mentioned 'Zor's blasphemy'."

"Such an interesting phrase for a creature called an Angel to use. Blasphemy. I can only wonder what 'Zor' might be." _And who 'she' is_, Lang thought, but did not add.

They both looked back at the vacant throne, each with his own set of questions about its occupant. For one, it was the continued mystery of how the beast connected to the death of a woman he had cared deeply about. For the other, it was about the growing concern that he had been lied to and what that might mean for his future.

000

After parting with Dr. Lang, Shinji opted not to return to his quarters, instead deciding to wander around the still-under-construction Macross City. In conjunction with his decision not to go back to his bunk, Shinji decided to spend his time in civilian clothing, trying to distance himself from everything his uniform represented at the moment.

All things considered, the city really was a marvel of engineering and a miracle of the first order. Entire city blocks had seen a painstaking amount of energy put into the effort of making them exactly like they had been back on the island. It was nothing less than awe-inspiring when one considered that most of the buildings had been completely covered in ice as of a few days ago. Lang's reputation as a miracle worker was firmly cemented amongst the members of the RDF and Shinji felt a pang of regret that he had been outside with the Prometheus and this missed most of the groundwork. It must have been a sight to behold.

Not that there was not still a great deal of work remaining, of course. Walking down one of the sidewalks, Shinji noticed a gaping hole in the road, allowing for a clear look below into the twisting pipes and passageways that littered the insides of the battle fortress. Idly, Shinji wondered how quickly a person might get lost if he tried to poke around down there. Without a clear idea of where you were going and an easy way to mark your progress, it would be all too easy for someone to wander aimlessly. Not even Dr. Lang knew how all of the inner corridors of the SDF-1 were laid out.

Deciding that he had no burning desire to find out, the boy continued his walk, observing the ebb and flow of people going about their lives. It was fascinating, just how normal everything seemed. There was a blue sky above him, people around him, businesses open, and he thought he heard music playing somewhere. Looking up, Shinji observed a cloud slowly passing by. Then it suddenly disappeared, revealing the cold gray roof of the SDF-1's main holding area.

"Aw, not again," he heard someone say. Shinji turned to see a short, rotund man speaking with someone several feet taller than him.

"The Defense Force told me that this was likely to happen for a while," the short man said. "They haven't been able to get it to work right. Something about 'holo-energy requirements' and some other gobbledygook. We'll just have to live with it until someone gets around to trying to fix it again."

Shinji frowned and kept walking, mulling over the loss of the illusion. It was comforting, a way of easing a person into this new life by trying to retain continuity with the old. But it was also a lie. A pleasant one, something that certainly made you feel better, but still just a lie. Maybe it was an aftereffect of his conversation with Dr. Lang, but the boy was feeling particularly ill-disposed towards the concept of telling a lie for some greater good. He intermittently looked back up at the dull-colored ceiling, deciding that a harsh truth was better than a pleasant lie.

Shinji may have spent the rest of the day roaming the streets aimlessly, pondering every last existential and general philosophical question that came to him, but he was soon distracted by a very loud noise coming from a couple blocks away. Almost instinctively he broke into a run, racing towards the source of the noise. What he found was another great hole in the ground, this one looking as though it had collapsed in on itself.

"What was that, an enemy missile?" Someone asked.

"Looks to me like a bomb went off!" Another added.

"Hey, there's someone down there. It looks like a couple of kids!" Yet another pointed out.

Shinji peered down into the hole and sure enough there were two people standing down in it, a boy and a girl, surrounded by debris. The latter was being held close by the former.

"Why, that looks like Minmei down there," the short man from earlier said and Shinji finally recognized him as Tommy Luan, the mayor of Macross City.

The Sergeant, meanwhile, had started to distance himself from the crowd and was making his way towards a nearby phone booth. He dialed a number given to all RDF personnel to be used should the need arise. Before long he was in contact with the ship's services and ordering a crane to be delivered to the area. Once he received confirmation that it was on its way, he returned to the hole and approached the mayor, who was shouting down to the girl below.

"-so don't worry, we'll be getting you out as quickly as – eh?"

"Mr. Mayor? Sergeant Ikari of the RDF. I've already got a crane on its way to get them out."

"Why thank you, soldier!" Luan then turned back to the hole. "We've got a crane on its way! You'll be out of there in just a few minutes!"

Shinji was pretty sure he heard the girl shout back a 'thank you'. As it turned out, it took about fifteen minutes for the crane to get there and another ten for it to be in position to send a basket down for the two to get in. Once they were up, Shinji helped both get out, despite the reduction in ability caused by his broken arm.

"Attention, message from the bridge. The disturbance in Sector 7x was caused by a construction accident. There were no injuries. The damage will be cleared up very shortly. Repeat, the disturbance is over. Please return to neutral status." Commander Hayes announced over the PA system.

"Aunt Lena, Uncle Max, I was so worried I'd never see you again! We were down there for so long and didn't know anything about what was happening! Every time we tried to look for an exit we got lost in all those hallways and rooms! And there were so many of them, like they weren't ever supposed to stop anywhere!" the girl said after running over to her family.

"Don't worry Minmei you're back with us, safe and sound." Max reassured his niece.

"Oh, thank goodness for that! It was so cold and dark and lonely down there, like some kind of dank cave! The food just kept getting less and less despite everything Rick and I tried. I can't wait to get back to a warm bed and away from that cold floor! And the mice, ewww!"

Seeing that there was nothing to do for the girl, who seemed to have more energy than he thought possible in a human being, Shinji turned his attention to her companion. Of the two, he was decidedly the worse for wear, looking bewildered, pale and exhausted. Just as Shinji was about to ask if he needed anything, the mayor slapped the rescued boy on the back, causing him to fall forward. Shinji reached out his arm, hoping to catch him and prevent him from falling, but only managed to grab hold of the back of his jacket, barely stopping him from hitting the ground right in front of Shinji's shoes.

"Hey, are you alright son?" Mayor Luan asked after he rushed over to help Shinji pick the boy up. There was no response and it looked like he had collapsed from fatigue.

"We had better get him someplace where he can lie down," Shinji said, trying to hold onto the surprisingly heavy body with his good arm.

"Rick! Oh, Rick, are you alright?" Minmei asked.

"I don't think he can hear you, Minmei," Luan responded.

"Let's bring him into the restaurant. We have a room he can stay in there." Lena said.

With Shinji holding him up on one side and the mayor holding up the other, Rick was carried over to the specified restaurant, not too far from the hole, with a small crowd following. Once they were inside, Shinji started to lose his grip on the limp figure.

"Here, let me take over. You've done plenty," Max offered, taking Rick from Shinji.

"Say, what's that smell?" Minmei wondered aloud.

Shinji sniffed the air, then looked down at his shoes and found them covered in a strange, yellow-gray mushy substance. Embarrassed, he quietly backed out of the restaurant and into the crowd, hoping everyone would be focused on Rick and not paying him any attention. Once safely away, Shinji sniffed again, then wrinkled his face in disgust; sure of what was covering his shoes. After a brief bit of contemplation he decided it must have happened when Rick collapsed and his head had been right above Shinji's shoes.

Using his heels, Shinji got out of the tainted footwear and deposited them in a nearby trash container, praying that no one was actually looking at him. Despite his best attempts, he was unable to hail a cab and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to walk all the way back to the base in his socks. With a heavy sigh, he started moving and tried not to flinch whenever he stepped on something unpleasant to his foot. This happened more times than he would have liked. Occasionally while walking he would notice an odd look from a random passerby and this would prompt him to increase his pace for the next block or so.

Finally, after what seemed to be a far greater distance on the way back than it was from his departure, Shinji made it back to the base. Keeping up a brisk stride (but not an outright run – that would draw attention to him) he thought he could make it back to his quarters without running into anyone. Once past the main gate and inside his building the boy felt certain he would make it. He should have known better.

"Oh, hey Shinji!" Sammie Porter said.

"…Hi, Sammie," Shinji responded, cringing. Why did it have to be one of Kim's two best friends? And a bridge officer, to boot?

"How's your arm?"

"Fine, it's fine."

"That's good. Kim was worried about you."

'I know."

"You should do something nice for her."

"I know."

"She'd really appreciate it."

"I know."

"I can give you gift ideas, if you can't think of anything."

"I know."

Sammie checked her watch.

"Oh, I've got to get back to the bridge. I'll see you later!" She was almost across the room when she turned around and, in a far louder voice than he would have liked, said "By the way, you've lost your shoes!"

"…I know," Shinji muttered, exasperated. There were times when he understood why Kim, Sammie and Vanessa had been nicknamed 'the Terrible Trio'.

Feeling very tired, Shinji finally managed to make it back to his room, which seemed far more cramped than usual. Granted, it was never the most spacious living area he had stayed in, but today its compact size seemed to be accentuated. He flipped on the radio, hoping that the broadcasting stations had been set up by now, but was greeted with nothing more than the harsh crackle of sound that was static. Sighing, Shinji turned it off and sad down in the lone chair available to him.

There had been times in past when silence and solitude were things he sought after desperately, but now they seemed hollow to him. He desperately wished to hear Asuka extolling her own virtues while Misato slyly teased the two of them about everything ranging from work issues to a relationship. Never a day went by without some kind of comment from someone about the two of them sounding like an old married couple. Annoying at the time, such things now seemed an important part of a life he was starting to miss. Strange that the things which aggravated him were what came to mind when he waxed nostalgic.

Deciding to do something about the silence, Shinji brought his cello close, ready to play a bit to soothe his nerves. Then he tried to lift his left arm back.

"Ow," he muttered, feeling like an idiot. "Right, right."

Next he tried his SDAT player, thinking he could lose himself in it now as he had done so many times before. After a few minutes passed, however, he had grown dissatisfied with that as well. Just laying down and doing nothing but listening was not what he needed right now. He needed to be doing something as well, something to distract him from the emptiness of the room, the lack of life in it. Sitting back down at his desk, Shinji took out a pen and paper from a drawer. The paper was not the kind he needed for this type of work, but it would suffice for the time being. He could get what he needed later and really, it was not as though he had any intention of letting anyone else see this.

"Hmm-hm, hmm. No, maybe a hmm, hmm-hmmm," Shinji hummed to himself as he wrote the notes. Once his arm healed, he could get a better idea of how this would sound when actually played. For now, the Third Child was content with this.

* * *

I want to give a big thank you to LD, who really deserves a co-writing credit on this chapter. Plenty of stuff would not be in here without him.

Yes, I'm well aware that I cheated about Rick. He's here, he just didn't get a speaking role this chapter. Next time, though.

As for Kim's age, well, I was planning on pointing out that Kim is in fact 19 years old, not 23. To support this, I went to the Robotech website for backup. Then I checked one of the larger Macross sites on the internet. It turns out that, yes, Kim is 19. Kim _Kabirov_, of Macross, that is. Kim _Young_ of Robotech is listed as 23, according to the current guide to Robotech continuity.

Whoops.

While I remain sure that I saw Kim Young listed as 19 _somewhere _offcial, it doesn't change the fact that I currently have egg on my face. So, in the interest of narrowing the age gap, I'm keeping Kim at 19, making her a year younger than Sammie, who's 20. In the meantime, I'll be waiting for Harmony Gold to 'officially' return Kim to a younger age, even if it does make less sense (but then again, a lot of Robotech characters seem ridiculously underaged).


	6. Star Trekking

Chapter Six: Star Trekking

_While it was certainly not the first large mecha to be fielded in a combat scenario, the Veritech Fighter quickly proved itself superior to anything in production at the time, making it the weapon of choice for UN Spacy and the Robotech Defense Force. It deftly combined speed, maneuverability and firepower into one effective package. It did not take the pilots long to realize that, in addition to being the first line of defense, they would be at the top of the figurative food chain for the foreseeable future. This led to varying types of competition in order to decide who would get to be called the best of the best._

-Zachary Fox, Jr. _VT: The Men and the Mecha_

A sense of calm had descended upon the SDF-1. It had been almost a week since the creature Dr. Lang had designated as the 13th Angel tried to reduce the battle fortress to nothing more than debris and nothing particularly eventful had occurred since then. Despite a few odd pilots who claimed to be ready for a nice bit of action, everyone onboard had enjoyed the reprieve granted to them. Macross City was not almost completely rebuilt, with the exception of a few odds and ends. Utilities were provided, businesses had reopened and the television and radio stations had started rebroadcasting, albeit with limited selections for the time being. Of greater relief to the men and women of the Defense Force was the completion of the recovery efforts for both the Daedalus and the Prometheus, meaning that the SDF-1's full complement of Veritechs could be launched at a moment's notice. It appeared to everyone that, finally, things had calmed down and life could get back to the approximation of normal that living inside a battle fortress provided. Before they could complete the process, however, there was still one last thing to be done.

"Ten-_Hut!_" Colonel Maistroff shouted.

As one, several rows of officers, all in dress uniform, came to attention. They were inside one of the hangar bays that connected the Prometheus to the SDF-1. Shinji had a place in one of the rows, his left arm still in a sling. Along with the rest, his eyes rested on the platform stationed in front of the assemblage. Captain Gloval walked up to the podium and began to speak.

"These have been trying times for all of us. We find ourselves far from home, with a long journey looming ahead. The simple matter of survival has been foremost in our thoughts since the attack on the island, regrettably forcing other matters to be pushed aside. Now, in these moments of peace that we are gifted with, we take the time to remember those who have fallen in the line of duty. They have been our friends, our comrades-in-arms, our brothers. Now they are our honored dead. Their time with us is at an end. Never again will we be able to pass by them while on our way, or laugh with them while off-duty. Yet, though we commit their remains to the vast depths of space, we do not leave them behind. Their memories remain here, within each of us who knew them, whether it was as a close confidant, or simply as an acquaintance. Their lives will not be forgotten and thus their sacrifice will not be forgotten. We shall carry them with us as we continue onward, honoring them as best we can. It is only good and just that we should act in this fashion."

The Captain continued to speak, but Shinji was only partly listening. His thoughts were concerned with the seeming pervasiveness of death. There was no escaping it, no matter where you went. Foolishly, he had thought he had gotten away from it when he left Tokyo-3 and settled in on Macross Island. But death merely decided to shift forms and come for him once again. Only that time, it took with it far more than it usually did. Then it shifted back to something a little more familiar and came for him once more, destroying more innocent lives in the process. His left arm started to feel a bit numb and Shinji again contemplated the recent Angel attack. Had he been stronger, had he been faster, had he been _better_, maybe those other pilots on duty with him would not have lost their lives. Maybe he could have stopped poor Jonathan from pointing that gun to his head and firing.

"…the responsibility we all have to carry on, to ensure that the sacrifice of others was not in vain..," Gloval continued.

Responsibility. There was a word Shinji knew and sometimes had cause to despise. Not too long ago he had a responsibility to act as the Third Child, Pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. Only he had run away from that responsibility to become Corporal and now Sergeant Ikari, Veritech Fighter pilot. Yet, his old responsibility caught up with him, even though he never really thought he would be completely free of it. Now he had to reconcile the two, because if one Angel could make it out here, so could another. It was strange, but he had never really given much thought to the JSSDF soldiers that had been thrown against the Angels only to be mercilessly crushed. Now though, he began to wonder what had crossed their minds as they went up against an opponent they could do nothing to.

It was then Shinji noticed that the Captain had finished his speech and the boy felt a bit guilty for not paying closer attention. Commander Hayes was now at the podium, a list of names in front of her. One by one, she called them out, giving voice to them a final time before the end. While she recited the names, coffins would be sent out, a procession of the fallen. To Shinji, there seemed a combination of the absurd and the morbid to this. Many of those coffins were empty save for perhaps some keepsake – there simply had not been anything left of them to place inside. They had simply been vaporized when their aircraft exploded after being hit by enemy fire. Of course, there was one coffin Shinji knew would have an occupant, much to his eternal shame. After what felt to be far too long, there were no longer any names for the Lieutenant-Commander to call and the Captain dismissed all assembled. As he filed out with the rest, Shinji still pre-occupied himself with thoughts of responsibility and death, the connection between one and the other. It occurred to him that he had never been to the funeral of someone who had died because of an Angel attack. Should he be ashamed of that, letting the casualties remain faceless to him? Or perhaps it was something to be thankful for, that he had never been forced to bury someone he knew because he failed to protect them?

"Funerals," Roy said as he stepped over to Shinji, "never really get easier to attend."

"I expected that," Shinji responded, his head down.

"This your first?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, I think. I can't really remember my mother's funeral, if I went to it."

"It's not easy to go to one. Then again, it would kind of defeat the point if it were. It's just one of those things, an oddity of life. Unfortunately, we'll probably be attending a few more before everything is said and done."

"Are we expecting an attack soon?"

"There's nothing we know to be coming our way. I'm talking from my gut on this one. We've been relaxed for far too long. Those aliens are bound to catch up with us soon."

"More fighting…" Shinji whispered.

"Such is a soldier's life," Roy mused. "How's your arm doing?"

Shinji glanced at it before answering.

"Okay. The doctors said it was a simple fracture and should heal cleanly. I'm supposed to have the cast off in a couple weeks."

"Nothing else wrong?" Roy asked.

"I'm…okay. Really." Shinji responded. His friend seemed satisfied, despite the brief hesitation.

"That's good to hear. I don't want one of my best pilots laid up any longer than necessary. After all, I've got to have someone to use as an example for the new recruits. The fact that you'll be younger than all of them just makes it better."

"New recruits?"

"We've started putting up recruitment ads across the city. Plenty of the basic 'I want you' style posters. Maybe we'll do a TV spot, I dunno. Advertising isn't really my thing."

"You mean getting the people here to sign up for the Defense Force."

"There's no other source. We're a long way from the nearest reinforcements, not to mention that almost everyone certified to fly a Veritech was already on the island. We're going to have to get pilots somewhere, so we use what's available to us."

Something about this did not sit right with Shinji, though he was at a loss as to exactly what. Perhaps it was the ideas of casually plucking someone from their ordinary life in order to fill some need for a person to put in harm's way. Or perhaps it was that he understood the logic behind such an act in a way he would not have several months ago, The phrase 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' began to make more sense to the boy as he further considered just how messy this war could get.

"Just how bad off are we?" Shinji asked.

"I wouldn't say 'bad', but we definitely got hurt. Every squadron took casualties and Wolf was completely wiped out. We need to fill the ranks back in as quickly as possible. You should never fight an enemy while hindered in any way."

"So the Academy is back up and running?"

"Yep, though it's mostly boot camp. We've got a glut of higher officers as it is. According to Dr. Lang, we'll be able to train new pilots year-round. Good thing, too – we're going to need them all the way back to Earth."

"A whole year," Shinji whispered. "I wonder if we'll be able to hold out that long."

"Of course we will. We've got the tools, we've got the talent, and we've got the mighty Shinji Ikari on our side. All foes cower before him, right kid?" Roy joked and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I wish I felt that confident," Shinji responded.

"Just do the job like I know you can. After that, things will fall into place."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right. You're a good pilot Shinji, flat out. I'm not kidding when I say I want to use you as a model for the other rookies. If more of them show talent like yours, we'll be able to breeze through the enemy. Heck, they've already caught us with our pants down and we still managed to kick them around. With guys like you piloting, we'll do more than hold our own." Roy assured.

Shinji could only wonder what supplied the man's never-ending fount of confidence. There wasn't anything Roy seemed to really worry about. You could tell him that the world was going to come to an end and he would just laugh it off, sure that the situation could be fixed with just a little bit of luck and a working plane. Not for the first or last time, Shinji desperately wished for that kind of courage. With it, perhaps he would not be the failure he knew himself to be. If he had Roy's skills and courage, the Angel would not have killed those Veritech pilots and Jonathan would not have shot himself in the head.

"Listen," Roy said. "I've got a few to duties to perform, but after that, why don't you meet me for a bite? I know a nice little Chinese restaurant."

"There are actually restaurants open?" Shinji asked, surprised. This was news to him.

"This one's one of the first. It's got a pretty good menu, or so I hear. It'll be my treat. Besides, I've got someone I want you to meet."

"…Okay…"

"Great. It's that place near the hole you pulled those two civilians out of. I'm sure you remember. I'll see you there at 1400."

Soon, Shinji was once again alone, with time to contemplate his friend's advice. Why couldn't he just 'not worry' like Roy was able to do. What was it that caused him to continually hesitate, doubt himself? Was he just a coward at heart and nothing more? Could the answer be so simple? And if so, what was to be done about it? He could not run away, not like he tried to run away from the Evas. This time, there was no place to run to. There was no way to board a train and put his responsibilities behind him, like he had tried to do before when the fight against the Angels had still been so new to him. Outside the metal casing was nothing but vacuum, capable of snuffing his life out in an instant.

Lack of an escape route was not the only thing that held him, either. When he joined the Defense Force, he had sworn an oath to defend humanity no matter what the personal risk. Could he really turn his back on that, becoming a liar in the process? Could he let Roy down, when the man had already placed so much trust in him? Shinji fingered the new lapels on his uniform – he was a Sergeant now, the first person to reach that rank while at such an early age. Didn't that mean anything to him? As a symbol of trust, it was certainly tangible; a genuine way to remind himself that he was part of something, an entity that considered him – Shinji Ikari – to be of importance. Shouldn't that be enough for him to feel satisfied? And even if he was not content, did he not still have a duty to perform and thus a promise to keep?

"Duty," Shinji whispered to himself. "That's what Roy said it was about."

The boy still remembered quite clearly the impromptu speech his friend had given while trying to convince him to join the Defense Force. Yet, despite the high ideals spoken of, Shinji did not agree to sign on until that conversation with Dr. Lang reminded him of what he desperately wanted to escape. It was not nobility or heroism that had spurred him into becoming a member of the RDF. Instead it was selfishness, acquiescence to the personal desire he had to hide himself from the pain that his father's organization seemed intent on bringing him. There were times, in the dead of night; he would wake up gasping, thinking himself still inside Unit-01's cockpit while submerged in the Sea of Dirac, waiting for the power to give out and his life to come to finally come to an end. Perhaps it should have.

While in the hospital, he had wondered if his death would have had any meaning. Up until that point, his life did not seem to have any, so would his death have been any different? It had seemed slightly ironic to him that a life could have no meaning but a death would. Presumably that meant the opposite was true as well, that a life could have meaning, but a death none. Alone in his hospital bed, Shinji had mulled over this dichotomy, how much effect a life could have on a death and vice versa. If one had meaning, did that automatically mean that the other had it as well? Could a death redeem a life? If so, why did it matter? There had certainly been times when he felt as though his own life was utterly devoid of meaning, thus making it worthless. Yet, he had not wanted to die, when death finally looked upon him. Would that make him a hypocrite, seeing no purpose to his life yet still rejecting death?

But hypocrite or not, he was still left with the problem of meaning. It eluded him now just as it had done for his entire life. All he had was existence, although even that seemed insubstantial at times. Once again his left arm began to ache and a memory flashed across his mind of Jonathan lying face down on the hangar deck, blood pouring out of his head, staining Shinji's hands. Where was the meaning in such an act? Did its meaninglessness negate the life that had come before it? If so, then Shinji felt himself responsible for such degradation, since it was his fault the man had died, no matter what others tried to persuade him to believe.

"_Zor's blasphemy spreads_," Jonathan had said before pulling the trigger. Those words had haunted him, not least because of their cryptic nature. No one knew what he was talking about, if it had actually been Jonathan talking. Whether or not it was a message from the now-deceased pilot or some final bit of influence from the Angel remained unclear. Again, Shinji was left with an absence of meaning. Death, however, was a prominent force as it had always been for the past year of his life. Purpose could not be found despite his best attempts, but entropy…entropy seemed to always be there, encroaching upon him, closing in and waiting for its chance. How was it fair, or even remotely sane, that the universe would divest itself of meaning, but allow death to be all-pervasive? Trying to comprehend such a concept made Shinji feel very cold and very alone, sensations he knew quite well. A crying child left alone by his father knows such things very well. After that day, he had never truly been warm again. He looked out a window, into the diamond-spotted black. The cold was all around them, ready to consume all of them. And yet…

"To defend and protect humanity, no matter the risk," Shinji said, paraphrasing the oath he had sworn not very long ago. His fingers again traced the new rank insignia on his uniform. The symbol of the promise he had made, the burden he had volunteered – not coerced into accepting, but volunteered – to take on. The universe may be a cold, hard, unforgiving place, filled with entropy and insanity, but none of that changed the fact that he had given his word that he would act in a manner befitting an officer of the Robotech Defense Force. Nothing said or done after this could change that simple, undeniable truth. If he were to simply surrender to despair, allow the cold to envelop him and likely those he has been charged with protecting, he would dishonor his word, betray the trust that others had placed in him – that Roy had placed in him. He could not do that, no matter how tempting it may be. With surrender not an option, the only remaining course open to him was to fight, to struggle to survive. Things such as meaning and purpose may be beyond him, but duty remained. The duty Roy had spoken of. Maybe that could sustain him.

000

There was not a great deal of light in the room. No lamp turned on or overhead fixture to provide illumination. There was only the glow of the computer screen, however faint. This was not because the inhabitant of the room felt any particular inclination to keep his work shrouded in the dark. In fact, it had more to do with his single-mindedness, which caused him to completely ignore the rest of existence in favor of whatever it was that had fixed his attention this time. Many things had been said about Emil Lang over the years, but being prone to distraction was never among them. He was so engrossed in his work that it was not until the arrival loudly cleared his throat that he realized he was no longer alone.

"Good evening, Lazlo. What can I do for you?"

"I believe you mean 'good morning', doctor."

"Morning? That can't be. It's only…" Lang started to refute his protégé's correction before glancing at a clock for the first time in many hours. His expression was a mixture of irritation and slight disbelief.

"As I said, 'good morning, doctor'," Zand said. "I have brought you the latest results from our scans of the wreckage left behind by the 13th Angel."

Zand handed the other man a clipboard with several sheets of paper on it. As Dr. Lang perused the information displayed upon them, he spoke once more.

"Anything of note?"

"As I told you, there was nothing left behind with any piece of the Angel's biological material. Anything that was not engulfed by the creature's destruction would be too small for our equipment to detect its existence."

Lang lifted his gaze from the papers in his hand to directly address that statement.

"I can't accept that. There must be some piece of it remaining behind that we can study. We can't let this opportunity to finally acquire actual Angel DNA slip through our fingers. Have every area where it was either known or presumed to have been swept again."

"We've searched every day since the incident with no success," Zand protested. "Do you really think that our chances somehow increase with the passage of time? If there was anything, it would have been found within the first two-three days at most."

"Are you saying we should just let this go?" Lang balked.

"There's nothing left to hold onto! Anything we might – _might_ – have been able to use is drifting in space miles behind us. I doubt that Captain Gloval will turn the ship around simply because you want to find the needle in the haystack."

Lang wanted to argue the point, prove that there was a tangible reason to continue searching. Instead, he merely slumped in his chair, aware that Lazlo was right. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he had to admit defeat on this matter. There was simply no point in continuing onward. He turned his chair around to face the computer again.

"I understand your curiosity on this matter, but your insistence seems rather extreme, even for you. It's not as though you would be able to derive any great insight regarding their bodily functions, unless you have a biology degree to surprise me with." Zand commented.

"Lazlo, the creature managed to infect and transform a Veritech into a body suited for its needs. An organic life form managed to take a mechanical shell and alter it to act as a biological surrogate. That should not be possible. To be anything other than ravenous for knowledge about this is an exercise in willful ignorance." That last remark probably came out a little more caustic than intended, but Lang was too prickly from lack of sleep to care.

"Obviously any creature capable of performing such acts should be studied thoroughly by whatever methods available, but relentlessly pursuing information where none no longer exists moves past ignorance and ventures towards fanaticism." Zand's response was a challenge and Emil knew it.

"Are you trying to imply something, Lazlo?"

"Perhaps your pursuit of the Angel's genetic material has less to do with an altruistic desire to expand scientific boundaries and more to do with your feud with NERV."

Lang was grateful that he was not actually facing Zand at the moment, since he could not be sure that he could keep his face expressionless. His colleague's assessment of motive was uncomfortably close to the truth, but Emil could never admit by how much.

"My dislike of that organization has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, come now, doctor. I know how much you viewed them as a threat to everything you've done on Macross Island. I share many of the same resentments. How could I not, considering the way they hoard information and belligerently obstruct any project that might weaken their hold on planetary security? But you must not take things too far. After all, it is not like they have done anything to you personally."

_How little you know_, Lang thought, but did not speak. Instead, he tried a different tack.

"Lazlo, come look at this," the scientist said. Lazlo looked over his shoulder to view images on the computer screen.

"Footage of the Angel's attack," he observed.

"You've seen it, then?"

"Not this particular recording, but enough to know what happened during the battle."

"Then you know about this particular incident," Lang said, playing the footage of Skull fifteen launching its missiles only for them to veer off course.

"Yes, the curious ability of the AT field to disrupt the guidance systems. An unforeseen complication."

"It is more than that. Consider what we know – unless disrupted, an AT field will defend its projector from everything up to and including an N2 mine, currently the most destructive weapon at humanity's disposal. Yet the weaponry we have created for the Veritechs can negate this ability easily, as our tests involving Unit-01 showed."

"I remember going over the reports well. What are you getting at?"

"Everything constructed for use by the Defense Force – Reflex weaponry, the engines powering the Veritechs and Destroids, everything – is derived from what we found on board the SDF-1 and more specifically, the power source used for it to function.

"Whatever it may have actually been," Zand interjected. "We still don't have a complete idea of how it worked, just that we can use applications of it to tear through an AT field."

"Ah, but that is just it – the weapons do not _tear_ through, they _pass_ through."

No further words were said for a few moments as Lazlo Zand processed that statement. Then he felt it safe to speak.

"I may owe you an apology, doctor. We do need to examine every last bit of an Angel's biological make-up if we can. To simply negate an AT field…" He let the implication hang in the air, since neither of them needed to hear it out loud. Privately, Zand cursed himself for not picking up on it sooner. This meant that there had to be some kind of connection between the aliens who created the SDF-1 and the Angels that have harassed humanity. But what could it be? What was the common link? Both men knew that a very important piece of a galactic puzzle had just been presented to them. Now they just had to figure out where it fit into the larger mosaic. Musing to himself about the possibilities, Zand decided to order one last sweep of all the areas. It was likely that it would turn out to be yet another exercise in futility, but something this important required it. Lang, meanwhile, contemplated how his student might have reacted to the _rest_ of the information.

000

Business was booming. Uncle Max and Aunt Lena had been surprised by the sheer number of people looking to stop by for something to eat, but she wasn't. After all, they were serving good food and giving people a chance to relax a bit. With everything that had happened recently, it was no great discovery that customers were looking for an excuse to forget their troubles, especially since most of them were soldiers. They had barely been open ten minutes before the first car-full unloaded outside the door. She'll never forget the pure disbelief on their faces when she confirmed that they were, in fact, open and ready to serve.

"Minmei, I've got another order ready!" Max called out from the kitchen.

"Coming!" she replied and hurried over.

After grabbing the tray, Minmei navigated her way back through the maze of tables, her red dress (which customers had always enjoyed) swaying lightly. She could not precisely remember when she first started serving tables while dressed as the popular idea of 'Chinese', with the hair and the dress, but she quickly learned that it added a certain charm to the restaurant and made people that much more likely to come back. There had certainly been a number of looks directed her way, but she never minded. If anything, she was flattered, always happy to be noticed and maybe one step closer to actual fame. At least, that was what she hoped.

Setting down the latest order, Minmei quickly scanned the room. It was a helpful habit for a waitress to pick up. She almost missed the boy sitting down at the last unoccupied table. He was another soldier, though certainly the youngest she had seen in uniform. The expression on his face was a dour one, which prompted her to give him an extra-strength smile.

"Hi! How can I help you?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, I guess I'd like to see a menu, please."

"Just a second," Minmei said before hurrying off. She was back in an instant.

"Here you go."

The boy thanked her and started perusing the menu. Minmei, however, was not quite finished with him. There almost seemed to be a cloud hanging over him, which was just something she could not countenance. It was almost a base instinct for her.

"You seem pretty young. Did you just sign up for the Defense Force?"

"Um, kind of. I actually joined a few months ago, though a few strings had to be pulled."

"I'll bet you were really excited to get a chance to come here and fly. You must have really wanted to join."

"Well, no. I mean, yes, I wanted to join the RDF, but it was something that just kind of happened to me rather than anything I sought out. That seems to be a recurring theme in my life." The boy's voice started to drift on that last statement, but Minmei paid no attention.

"But you're here now and that's what counts. I almost wasn't here a couple times, but here I am now. I'll bet you're happier for it, too." He gave her a curious look before answering.

"Yeah, I suppose I am."

"See? Things are looking up for you, just like they were when you came to Macross from wherever you were before."

"Japan, actually. Tokyo-3."

"Really? My parents are back in Japan. They own a shop in Tokyo-3. Maybe you know it?"

"I…doubt it. I don't really get out too much."

"You had to get outside _sometime_. It's not like you were doing…what were you doing in Tokyo-3?"

The boy hesitated, and then answered.

"I was an Evangelion pilot."

"Wow, you're a celebrity! I bet everyone around knew who you were and just never left you alone!"

"Um, actually…" he started, but she did not give him a chance to complete the thought.

"How did you manage things, being famous? Was it easy? Were people always asking for an autograph? They probably were. How many did you give out? Was it just a quick squiggle each time? You probably had so many admirers that you didn't have time to write anything else. Maybe the other pilots had to drag you along and out of the crowds. I wouldn't know how to do that – I'd feel like saying hello and shaking hands with every one of them. They came to see you personally, so you'd probably want to show them something for caring so much. Oh, I just remembered!"

She leaned down and gave him a big hug. The boy's face turned a deep shade of red.

"My parents were almost killed when one of those monsters attacked, but they weren't because one of the big robots stopped it. I told them that if I ever had the chance, I would hug the pilots and say thanks for saving my mom and dad. Thanks!"

His face still a deep red, the boy stammered out a weak 'you're welcome' and then simply sat there with an odd expression on his face. Minmei was about to ask him if he felt alright when she realized two people had approached the table.

"If only all restaurants had service this nice."

"Rick! Commander Fokker!" Minmei squealed. "Sit down and let me get you something."

She hurried to the kitchen to grab a tray, glasses, and some drinks. Roy was seated between the two younger men, with Rick looking as though he had eaten something that strongly disagreed with him.

"Are you alright, Rick? I've got some stomach medicine in back if you need any."

"No thanks, Minmei. I'm fine." Rick replied and his gaze shifted to the Evangelion pilot. "Nothing I ate is turning my stomach."

"Why don't you bring us the day's special, Minmei." Roy suggested.

"Right! It's on its way!" Minmei again bolted back into the kitchen to give her uncle Max the order. She was back barely a minute later.

"It'll be just a few minutes."

"Thanks, Minmei. I don't suppose you could join us. I was just introducing these two to each other. Roy then gestured to the youngest. "Sergeant Shinji Ikari, Rick Hunter. Rick Hunter, Shinji Ikari."

The two somewhat awkwardly shook hands across the table. Minmei decided to drop in a topic.

"Rick, did you know that Shinji piloted the Evangelions? He's a big hero!"

"I'll bet he thinks he is," Rick said. "And tells others that, too."

"I just did what I was ordered to." Shinji explained.

"And he's modest. You might learn a thing or two from him, little brother." Roy joked. "If nothing else, he has better sense than to fly a piece of junk. Even if it is a _nice_ piece of junk."

Rick flashed Roy an annoyed look, as though he had heard variations on that particular remark before. Shinji shifted in his seat, as though he suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"So, what brought you to Macross Island?" Rick asked.

"Roy asked me. He thought that the Defense Force could use someone like me. That's it, really." Shinji answered.

"The kid's got talent. He learns quick and handles a Battloid almost as good as I do. I had him flying during the big ceremony – he earned it." Roy said. Shinji straightened up at his words, feeling a bit of pride.

"The ceremony…you were the one who ruined my booster climb!" Rick accused. Shinji went on the defense.

"You nearly ran right into me! And who's crazy enough to fly right into a formation exercise, anyway?"

"I figured the crowd deserved to see some real flying, rather than whatever by-the-book pedantics you were planning."

"Pedantics? That's easy for some amateur who never…"

"Hm, your food's probably ready!" Minmei said to herself more than anyone and got up. By the time she had returned, Rick and Shinji were glaring at each other, with the latter saying something about ruined shoes. That was all she caught. Setting the food down, she sensed an odd tension in the air, though she could not understand from what.

"Is everything alright?" she asked. Both Rick and Shinji mumbled their responses while Roy gave a bemused smile.

"Now that the food's here, I'd say all is well with the universe. Right, boys?" Roy looked for confirmation. The two again only mumbled in the affirmative. Minmei smiled.

"Great! I have to get back to the rest of the customers, but I'll only be a shout away if you need anything. Enjoy your meal!"

After Minmei gave her bubbly goodbye, Roy leaned back in his chair and addressed his friends without actually looking at either of them.

"Definitely some of the best service I've seen in a restaurant. Now let's see if the food comes anywhere close. Hopefully you two still have some room after chewing on your foot."

Wordlessly, the other two started to dig in.

000

Space was once defined as 'the large area in which we inhabit". There is, in fact, a lot of it. More than enough to place some serious hurdles in the way of anyone attempting to navigate it without the assistance of very high-end technology. It thus follows that if getting around is in and of itself a bit of a challenge, finding something should be next to impossible. Yet, despite the extreme adversity, objects will still need to be found, for whatever urgent reason. For those given the unenviable task of location, determination is a key factor in regards to success or failure. Fortunately for him, determination was a trait Breetai had in abundance.

"Report."

"We have finally assessed the location of the Micronians and the battle fortress, Lord Breetai." Exedore answered, standing next to his Commander in the observation dome. "They appear to be continuing from the point of emergence from fold space under sub-light engines."

"Curious," Breetai said, stroking his chin. "We have detected no outposts or installations anywhere in this area that they may be fleeing to. Why then would they proceed using sub-light travel? Is it possible that our scans have missed something?"  
"Doubtful, sire. The only way the Micronians could achieve such a feat would be through a command of Protoculture beyond that of even the Masters themselves. Our experiences with them so far indicate that this is not the case."

Breetai delved deep into thought. He knew that underestimating an enemy's resourcefulness could have dire consequences, but Exedore was never someone to commit such a folly. Therefore, the sensible explanation would be that the ship's engines were not functioning properly, preventing them from making a fold. Could his forces have damaged them in the attack? If so, could he have inadvertently damaged the Protoculture Matrix onboard as well? That was a frightening possibility, not to mention a deadly one. Again he cursed the lack of intelligence gathered on the enemy – a shortsighted error on his part, one that will likely complicate things needlessly.

"It seems we need to arrange a test of the Micronian's capabilities," Breetai said.

"What do you have in mind, sir?"

"Send a small reconnaissance force to the battle fortress's coordinates and give them orders to open fire. The Micronians' reaction should provide us with insight regarding their current status and capabilities."

"I shall see to it at once, Commander." Exedore said and exited the dome to carry out his orders. Alone, Breetai mused to himself.

"Now, Micronians, let us see how you will react when separated from your homeworld. Will you fight or flee? Are you capable of either? I look forward to finding out the answer."

000

In a secluded corner located in the upper decks of the SDF-1, Shinji Ikari was looking at the stars. He could not go to them as he was, his left arm still in a cast. All he could do was sit and watch as they passed by, a hundred tiny markers lighting the way back to Earth. Absentmindedly, he started to chew on the pen he had with him, glancing down at the small notepad on the table. Tiny markings were strewn across it – musical notes. They had no obvious coherency, even to him. At this point they were nothing more than a hint of the possibility of music. Still, it was a start, and the boy hoped to see a finish at some far-off point. Maybe when he returned to Earth the notes would be more than scratches on a page.

"_If_ I get back…" Shinji muttered, leaning forward to rest his chin on his right hand. A sense of melancholy had once again settled over him after his formal introduction to Rick Hunter. Somehow, Hunter had managed to provoke him in a way few had. The closest experience he had to the sheer aggravation on such a level would be his encounters with either his father or Asuka, and neither of them had managed to elicit the same kind of reaction he had to Rick, namely one of complete irritation.

"Some 'little brother', Roy. With family like that, I'd prefer to be an only child," Shinji griped to himself, more upset with the way Roy had taken everything in stride than anything else. How could he just let Rick insult the RDF like that? To just let some smart-mouthed jerk with a big ego disrespect the service…it angered Shinji more than he ever would have thought. He would not have much longer to stew in his own resentment as Commander Hayes was suddenly audible over the comm.

"Enemy attack, repeat: enemy attack. This is not a drill. Scramble order to all Veritechs. Scramble order to all Veritechs."

Instantly, Shinji was on his feet, ready to make a break towards the hangar bays. He had almost bolted for the door when reality pulled him back. He was in no condition to pilot a Veritech, not with his left arm still effectively useless. Moreover, he still had not been assigned a new plane, so even if he could fly he had nothing to do it in. Right now, he was nothing more than superfluous, irrelevant to any attempt at dealing with the danger at hand. There was nothing for him to do but find a safe place to put himself and hope that everything would turn out for the best. No one was counting on him, expecting him to put his life on the line. He could just sit and be alone, like he usually wanted. No one telling him to fight and kill…

Shinji walked over to the window, coming so close that he was almost touching it. Something was happening inside of him, a change he had not expected. Before, he had no real problem with the idea that he would not be called upon. There were mornings in Tokyo-3 when he would wake up in the morning and think '_Maybe this is the day they tell me it's over. Maybe this is the day they tell me I can leave this city and never have to look at an Eva ever again.'_ Being a pilot was something he desperately wanted to get away from. Now he was on the other side, angry and impatient with his own inability to get into the fight. Why? What had changed inside him? Was it his newfound sense of duty, the responsibility he felt to the uniform he wore and everything it represented? Looking out the window, observing the flickering balls of light that indicated explosions, it was hard for the boy to believe that a single word could provoke such reactions from him. A smile crept to his face as he wondered what Misato would say about him, the boy who had to be essentially blackmailed into defending Tokyo-3, now itching to get into the fight. Would she be surprised? Pleased? Proud, even? A part of him was desperate to know the answer to his question.

"Questions," he muttered, catching his reflection in the glass. He had been asking himself a lot of questions lately and never seemed to have any answers. It was as though he were simultaneously coming apart and starting to come together. He refocused his attention to the battle waged outside. It looked like a vicious dogfight, judging from the frequency of explosions. It was dangerous for him to be there, with so thin a barrier between him and death. Granted, it was the new safety glass, normally strong enough to hold in the face of everything save heavy gunfire, but the enemy ships were using ordnance far stronger than that. As though to accentuate that point, Shinji felt the ship rock, obviously due to missiles striking the hull. According to Dr. Lang, the SDF-1 had no working shields, meaning that everyone simply had to cross their fingers and hope that the armor plating could take the punishment.

He nearly tripped over his own feet as more explosions shook the insides of the battle fortress. The urge to run and hide came over him, its familiarity triggering various old memories. Yet he did not heed its urgings and instead kept his feet rooted to their spot and his eyes locked on the continuing battle. Roy was probably getting frustrated and ready to use his dirty tricks, if he had not started using them already. The boy pressed his good hand against the glass, wishing that he could be out there with his squad, proving himself worthwhile. He saw blue streaks of light emanate from alien ships and once again the SDF-1 rocked, causing him to fall towards the glass.

"All systems: attention! All systems: attention! Commence maneuvering for firing the main gun! Transformation will initiate in three minutes!" Commander Hayes announced over the comm.

"Transformation?" Shinji said. "What is she talking about?" It took him a couple minutes of wracking his brain for him to remember something Roy had mentioned about problems with firing the main gun. Apparently, they would have to move parts around to get it to work – is that what the announcement was about? Suddenly, he felt the floor begin to move under him, and this time it was not from any explosion. Falling over and landing on his broken arm, Shinji let out a yelp of pain. Trying to clear his head, Shinji saw that the walls were literally starting to close in. Deciding that it would not be a good idea to remain where he was, he clumsily reached a door, all the while trying to keep on his feet, despite the floor's best efforts to the contrary. After opening it and checking that the walls were not moving, he stumbled in and closed the door behind him while still holding onto the door handle to keep himself steady.

He was not sure how long he stood like that, his one hand desperately clutching the lever and every bit of him shaking. All the time there was the sensation that he was moving, the environment around him shifting to a new form. Then there was a low rumble he could feel in the walls, and he did not have the slightest idea what it signified. Thankfully, the shaking stopped soon afterwards, though he still kept a tight grip on the door handle just in case. After a couple minutes, Shinji felt it safe to let go and opened the door. Looking in the room, he was that the window was now covered by a large piece of metal, with several cracks in the glass. The walls were not so close together that they would have crushed him, but all the same he felt better about vacating the premises.

"Is it over?" he wondered aloud, before deciding to make his way to Macross City. This turned out to be far more difficult than he expected, since various parts of the ship had been completely rearranged. Doors simply would not open and when they did there was often either a solid wall or a gaping hole behind them. Eventually he reached his destination only to find that it resembled a warzone. A few questions to some nearby civilians confirmed his suspicion that the damage was a result whatever transformation the SDF-1 had gone undergone. As Shinji passed through the city, noting the condition of buildings and streets, a cold feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. It was more than likely that this would not be the last time that Macross City went through such turmoil, and he could only hope that the inhabitants would have the resolve to keep rebuilding time after time. The sounds of emergency vehicles echoing in the background, Shinji headed back towards the military base, hoping that he could gain some understanding of what exactly had happened today, along with just how badly they had been hurt.

000

As it turned out, the final body count was not especially high, but Roy had been unsettled all the same. The aliens had proven themselves far superior at fighting in space than in an atmosphere, which prompted the SDF-1's 'transformation' into a humanoid form in order to fire the main gun. The necessity of acquiring new pilots on a regular basis became even more apparent, heightening Shinji's desire to get back into a Veritech. It came as a relief when, two weeks later, he and Roy were standing in front of a new VF-1A marked for used by Sergeant Shinji Ikari.

"Take a good look at her kid, she's all yours." Roy said.

Shinji ran his left hand (now free from its cast) along the plane's underside, heeding his friend's advice. A genuine smile was on his face – he finally had a plane again. He could fly again. There was one thing, though…

"I've got a stripe on my Veritech now," he observed.

"Yep. All aces get a chance to customize their fighter. No more brownies for you."

"I appreciate it, but…purple?"

"I figured it was your color."

Shinji laughed slightly and shook his head. It was not really funny, but in the mood he was in at the moment, he did not care too much. Soon he would be flying again and life would be a little bit better for awhile. At least until the next crisis.

"So, is it love?" Roy asked.

Shinji shot him a mock-annoyed look, but did not respond. Instead he continued to inspect the aircraft, trying to familiarize himself with its intricacies. He was going to make it a point to keep this one together.

"You're on maneuvers at 0600 tomorrow. Get ready to rise and shine with the rest of us, now that you've healed up."

"I don't mind. I never really expected how much I would miss flying."

"Getting your wings clipped is never pleasant and I do speak from experience on that one."

Shinji finished inspecting his Veritech and the two were now on their way to a destination Roy had planned beforehand. The day had been going fairly well for the boy, so naturally something had to come along and ruin it. That something was the next sentence to leave Roy's mouth.

"Now that you're flying again, I'll be counting on you to keep an extra eye on Rick once he passes through basic."

"_Rick_ is joining the Defense Force?"

"Of course he is. I couldn't let him sit around and mold over. He's a pilot, same as you and me. Skill like he's got needs to be put to good use."

I didn't think we had helmets big enough for his head," Shinji griped.

"Look, I know the two of you got off on the wrong foot, but trust me when I say that he's a good guy. I just need to hammer out a few of the dents, that's all. Besides, it's not like you were on your best behavior either."

"He threw up on my shoes!"

"Which is why I said you got off on the wrong foot."

Shinji lifted his head to make sure Roy saw the annoyed look on his face. The older man just laughed at both his friend's irritation and his own lame joke.

"Whatever else," Roy continued, "the Defense Force needs pilots. We can't afford to turn anyone away who can at least get a plane in the air."

Shinji could only hang his head in defeat, though he wanted to protest that Hunter was still a jerk, despite qualifications. It did not seem worth it, though, so he remained silent. A sense of déjà vu struck him, and he wondered if Rick had any German relatives. Red-headed German relatives, with similarly large opinions of themselves.

Roy briefly considered confronting both of them over the obvious fact that the only reason Rick held animosity towards Shinji was the blatantly incorrect idea he had that Shinji was making a play for Minmei. Just thinking about it made him want to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness, but he decided to keep quiet for the time being. Their rivalry would push both of them to do better and it was just too entertaining for him to end it so quickly.

"Here we are," Roy said, stopping.

"The gym?" Shinji replied.

"Trust me; this will do you some good."

"You keep saying 'trust me'. Anyone else would be worried about that.

"Good thing we're not anyone else. Follow me and get ready for some fine lessons."

Shinji did as he was asked, though he could not escape the feeling that he would soon be in over his head. This turned out to be a correct feeling.

"A boxing ring," Shinji stated. _I should have know this would involve me getting hurt somehow_, he thought.

"There's applied science, theoretical science and now I'm going to teach you the sweet science."

"I don't know about this…" Shinji muttered.

"What's to worry about? I'm just going to teach you a few basics about how to handle yourself in a fight. It's not like I'm going to use you as my personal punching bag. Not very much, anyway."

While the possibility of responding with some kind of sarcastic remark occurred to Shinji, he was more preoccupied by what he felt sure to be an upcoming humiliation. The cast was barely off and now he was probably going to need it again. He derived some comfort from the knowledge that he would not have witnesses to his upcoming display of incompetence.

"Here," Roy said and tossed Shinji some gear. "Put these on. Unless you think your head is already hard enough."

Shinji followed his advice, all the while feeling like an idiot. He had just barely managed to display competent defense ability during basic and while they were not as bad as his aim with a firearm (which was pretty bad); he would never garner any notoriety for his skills with hand-to-hand fighting. Perhaps it was emblematic of the dichotomies that plagued his life, the inability to reconcile disparate threads. Inside a large mecha, he was almost a harbinger of death. On the ground he was nothing more than a frail fifteen-year-old who had never thrown a punch in anger. As he got into the ring, Shinji's mind delved further into this, yet another of his failures. In addition to everything else he was inadequate as, he did not even have the competency to handle himself in a fist fight. It was only with the assistance of large machines designed to kill that had any merit as a warrior. Maybe that was another symbol, something to again show how devoid of meaning he truly was. In both purpose and function he was little more than a cog in a much larger machine, something to be used and then discarded when its time had come to an end. That description certainly seemed to fit with the other themes his life had enveloped since that day his father revealed him to be nothing other than a –

**WHAM!**

"_Argh_! What was that?!"

"It's called a 'punch'. When you're in the ring, you throw them at the other guy. You probably would have seen it coming if you hadn't let your mind wander off. You can't let things distract you from the task at hand. That's one of the first rules of fighting." Roy scolded.

"Ack, my nose," Shinji's attempts at holding it were complicated by the gloves.

"I told you to be careful with putting on your head gear. Or were you not listening?"

"Ow," Shinji responded after lightly touching his nose again.

"Don't worry; I didn't hit you hard enough to break anything. But maybe I knocked some sense into you."

"That was a cheap shot."

"No such thing. Not in a real fight, anyway. Okay, let's try this again. Put your gloves up and make sure they're giving your face some cover. Every little bit helps. Good, now throw a punch at me and try to put some force into it."

Shinji hesitated at first, then did as he was told.

"Okay, now again."

A punch.

"Again."

A punch.

"Again.

A punch.

"Kid, don't worry so much about hurting the other guy. I can't get a good idea of what you need when you hold back. Now this time I don't want you to hesitate when you come at me." Roy instructed. Shinji took a breath and swung his right fist.

"Better. Now do it again, but this time don't stop until I tell you. Right, left, right, left, okay? And remember – don't hesitate."

The boy did his best, delivering a quick volley of punches into Roy's guard. The soft thud of each blow echoed throughout the room for a few minutes before Roy said it was enough.

"That wasn't too bad. You're still hesitating, though. That's going to kill you each and every time. The mentality for a fist fight is basically the same as when you're in a dogfight – stay focused and stay alert. Be ready to move in a second and always watch your flank. You already have the mindset; you just have to be able to slide into it when you need to."

"I'll try."

"Trying is good. Doing is better. Doing keeps you alive and means I won't have a guilt trip about you not being properly trained for trouble. Alright, let's take another go at it."

They continued practicing for a couple hours, with Shinji continually being tested and encouraged. Every so often Roy would point out that he needed to pull back a little more before a blow, or that the follow-through did not quite have the power it should. The boy listened to all of these comments, rarely responding, becoming caught up in the motion of it. He found something relaxing in simply pounding away, a kind of catharsis. Eventually, Roy called an end to the exercise and the two friends wearily exited the building.

000

Time onboard the SDF-1 was a curious thing. For awhile, people found themselves a bit disoriented over the absence of a night and a day, leading to a few embarrassments over disrupted sleep, eating habits, and other routines. Just about the time when everyone onboard finished acclimating to the new daily environment, Dr. Lang finally stabilized the holographic 'sky', meaning that the civilians now had the benefit of a night and a day. There were the usual complaints about timing, but soon everyone slipped into a rhythm, one repeated day after day. Combined with the relative infrequency of attacks by the aliens (which seemed designed to harass more than anything else), time seemed to pass by quickly for everyone aboard to the point that one could wake up one 'morning' and realize it was a little over two months since the SDF-1 had made its infamous jump. Shinji mentioned to Roy how strange it was that things could move at such a quick pace. Roy's response was that "time…keeps on slipping, into the future." He then had to explain that was a song reference.

Time was also on the mind of Captain Henry Gloval. For two months, he had been on the defensive, merely responding to what the enemy initiated. Now, he felt, it was necessary to strike a blow. With the SDF-1 nearing Saturn, he hatched a plan that would, he hoped, cause the enemy to recoil in its pursuit while also giving his own men a morale boost. He could not risk letting apathy find a place amongst the pilots, his first line of defense. This plan was why Rick Hunter (newly graduated) and Sergeant Shinji Ikari were in line with the rest of the rank and file Veritech pilots in front of a podium and listening to an officer speak.

"Tomorrow the SDF-1 will enter the rings of Saturn and soon after the Defense Force will initiate a counterattack. You will all receive your orders tomorrow, but until then I want you to think of just one thing: Robotech. We're all counting on you, men. And if there's anyone you want to see, do it tonight. That is all."

_Obviously one of Maistroff's_, Shinji thought, his judgment of the officer's briefing rather low. The Colonel had the tendency to attract a certain kind of soldier: one fond of bureaucracy and platitudes. While the crowd dispersed, the Sergeant mulled over the man's advice about seeing someone. No one immediately came to mind when he thought about a person he would like to see before a battle. Not in the way the officer meant. Offhandedly, he wondered what Asuka would have to say about the situation…

"Hey, watch it!" Rick Hunter scolded. The two then realized who it was they had run into.

"So, does the big Eva pilot plan on saving the day, tomorrow?" Rick challenged.

"I'll probably be too busy trying to keep amateurs from getting killed." Shinji shot back.

"Amateur? "I've logged more flight hours in one month than you have your entire life!"

"And none of those were in actual combat. Hopefully you'll remember what button is the trigger."

"I'll _remember_ to fly circles around you tomorrow!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"You'll see me do _a lot_ more than try!"

Shinji's response would not be heard as both pilots were suddenly distracted by loud giggling coming from nearby. They turned and found themselves looking at none other than Kim, Sammie and Vanessa – the erstwhile Terrible Trio.

"Don't stop now, boys, you were just getting good!" Vanessa said.

"Yeah, entertainment like this is ve - ry hard to come by these days." Sammie added.

"You just love getting into trouble, don't you Mr. Lingerie?" Kim asked.

Rick's face went red after that last remark, while Shinji just looked on with a confused expression. Deciding he was outnumbered and outgunned, Rick skulked away, muttering under his breath. Shinji was now alone with the (in)famous party girls.

"Um, uh, hello?" he stammered, clearly a little flustered. More giggling from Vanessa and Sammie was their response, though Kim was silent.

"Ah, well, it's, um, nice to see you," Shinji continued to stammer, unable to form a sentence properly. Sammie and Vanessa started whispering to each other, while Kim looked a little perturbed with them. Suddenly, the other two shoved the elfin-featured member of their group towards the Sergeant.

"We just remembered that we have _very_ important things to do," Sammie said.

"Unfortunately, it's stuff only we can do. We'll catch up with you later, Kimmie!" Vanessa explained.

"Hopefully _real_ late!" Sammie laughed as the two hurried off. Kim shot them both dirty looks before turning to Shinji.

"So…I haven't seen you around much, lately," she said, looking awkward.

"Yeah, I've been spending a lot of time alone, trying to figure some things out." Shinji answered.

"Did you have any luck?"

"Not…really. I always seem to have more questions than answers."

"Well, um, if you ever need a friendly ear, or something like that when we're off duty, we could…talk. It's nice to have someone you can just talk to."

"Yeah, it certainly is nice. I appreciate the offer. Thank you."

"It's the least I can do for a friend."

One side of Shinji's mouth curled upwards slightly in response. Then he decided to ask something while it was still on his mind.

"So, why did Rick run off when you called him 'Mr. Lingerie'?"

"That," Kim giggled, "is a great story. Commander Hayes, Vanessa and I were in the clothing store to pick up a few things and there he was crawling around on the floor!"

"Why was he on the floor?" Shinji asked, though he had a suspicion that he did not really want to know.

"I think he had dropped something, I don't know. Anyway, he's reaching around and looks right up at us while we're going through the underwear. And he's 'hiding' behind a mannequin too while peeking at us. Of course, once he notices that we've noticed him, he tries to make it look like he's _not_ looking at us and almost trips as he tries to get away." Kim started to laugh. "If only you had seen the look on his face! Of course, that expression was nothing compared to when we called him 'Mr. Lingerie' in front of Commander Fokker."

Shinji could not help but chuckle a bit with her, but then he and Kim glanced at each other and started laughing out loud. Whether it was at the story or each other or both was unclear, but laugh they did.

"Thank you, Kim," Shinji said, wiping his eyes. "I needed that."

"Why, you're welcome Mr. Ikari. Just doing what I can for one of our flyboys." She gave a mock salute reminiscent of the recruitment posters and both of them started to laugh a little more. "We have to keep you guys in tip-top shape for tomorrow, right?"

The smile did not leave Shinji's face, but his eyes became distant. Kim noticed almost immediately.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking about the mission. Our first big strike since the start of the war. This time we're going after them instead of waiting for them to come to us."

"Are you worried?"

"…yes. I know it's not very brave for me to admit that, but I am worried. I'm worried that something will go wrong and I won't be able to stop it. I'm worried that I won't be good enough to keep my wingmates alive when they need me to. I'm just…worried."

"Shinji, if you weren't the sweetest man I've ever met, I'd smack you. You can't hold yourself responsible for every little thing. And you can't keep holding yourself responsible for the Corporal's death, either."

"It's not about that."

"Yes it is and you know it. I won't pretend to understand what it's like to see someone kill himself in front of you, but I know a couple things about guilt. Sometimes things are just out of your control and all you can do is move on and try to do better the next time."

"I wish I could do that."

"I know you can."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I can see it in your eyes. You have the eyes of someone who cares too much, and feels it every time someone else gets hurt and wants to close himself off because of it. But you still want to keep anyone else from being hurt."  
"You learned all that just from looking in my eyes?"

"I'm a good judge of character."

"I certainly hope so."

"That heart of yours is bigger than most people's. You just need to listen to it more often."

She encircled her arm with his.

"Now come on. We've still got several hours before we have to put ourselves in harm's way. I say we spend it doing something fun. How about it, Sergeant – want to show a girl a good time?"

"Um, er, uh," Shinji stuttered, his face starting to get red.

"You really are too easy," she said and led him away. They spent the rest of the day perusing the streets of Macross City, poking around the various stores and other areas. Food was eaten, jokes were told and two young people did their best to forget that there was a strong probability that one of them would be dead tomorrow.

000

Shinji awoke a full hour earlier than necessary. He calmly dressed, readied himself, and double-checked the letters he had written last night. They were part will, part apology and one was marked for Asuka, Misato and Rei each. Then, resting his chin in his hands, he waited for the call to come.

"All pilots man your Veritechs. Repeat: all pilots man your Veritechs." Commander Hayes ordered over the comm.

He was out the door and down the hall in a minute. It was pure coincidence that he stumbled onto Roy and Rick, the latter appearing as though he had not gotten much sleep. When Roy called him over, there was a quick flash of anger between the two younger pilots, but it soon faded. Both had more important things to worry about.

"All Veritech pilots report to Prometheus immediately for roll call. Orange, Blue and Red squadrons will commence flight preparations on second level of the aft deck. All remaining squadrons prepare for takeoff from pre-assigned locations." Commander Hayes instructed.

The journey to the Prometheus was held in complete silence. Neither Rick nor Roy nor Shinji said a word. All of them understood that at this point conversations served no purpose. They readied their flight suits, put on their helmets and entered their Veritechs. Shinji almost instinctively took a deep breath, once again forgetting that there was no LCL. His VF-1A was moved into position and lifted onto the launch deck of the Prometheus. Once again he would be shedding blood amongst the stars.

"Skull squadron, commence take-off," Roy ordered.

"Veritech Skull squadron, three, pilot Shinji Ikari, ready for take-off."

"Clear, Skull three." Commander Hayes acknowledged, as she did for all the squadron.

Shinji, and the other pilots, hit the engines and took off. One by one they went, placing themselves in the formations they had been trained to make. Within seconds the attack force had reached Saturn's rings, in which the SDF-1 would hide in its humanoid battle form before opening fire. It was a surreal experience, navigating the floating pieces of ice that composed the rings. Up and down, left and right he weaved, the fragments darting past him faster than the blink of an eye. He could not help but wonder what this looked like from the outside, the kind of imagery created by the Veritechs as they made their way. Perhaps when this was over, he would be able to fly a patrol around the rings and get a better look at them up close, along with the gas giant itself. A grin formed on his face – here he was, flying through the rings of Saturn. Never in a million years would he have expected it to happen. Unfortunately, the mood was spoiled when Commander Hayes started chewing out Hunter over his breaking formation. What made it all the more ridiculous was Rick's apparent ignorance that of the fact that he was speaking over an open channel. Roy's voice came in over a private frequency.

"Maybe now you see why I need you to help me keep an eye on him."

Shinji let out a small 'heh' and refocused his attention on the mission. The black spot was right ahead. It came closer, closer and then everything disappeared. Only the lights from his control panel let him know anything still existed. His hands tightened their grip on the controls and his eyes settled on the targeting screen display, currently the only thing preventing him from collision. Once again he was completely taken out of it by Hunter and Hayes bickering over flight patterns. Shinji could not help but roll his eyes when Rick called her a dumb know-it-all while the entire squadron was listening.

"Maybe now you understand why I kept telling you to read the flight manual," Roy piped in again. Then, over the open channel, he issued orders. "Fingers on the triggers, people. I want the ordnance flying as soon as sunlight hits us."

The Sergeant breathed deep, his computer registering the distance left. Then, there was a bright flash as the alien ship opened fire. It felt as though the entire universe lit up and Shinji was almost blinded by the sudden light. He nearly missed realizing that his Veritech was now outside the shadow zone. Pressing the trigger, his first volley rocketed towards the alien ship, along with that of the entire squadron. Red-orange clouds appeared on its surface as they struck home.

"Break formation!" Roy ordered. "Engage enemy fighters only and leave the main cruiser to the SDF-1."

Battlepods then rushed forward, far more than had attacked Macross Island. Without bothering to wait for a target lock, Shinji opened fire. His cannons cut through the Battlepod in front of him, resulting in a fireball he passed right through. Meanwhile, the alien ship rose from its place in the rings to open fire on the SDF-1. Large blue energy streams battered against the battle fortress and the alien ship then launched its own missiles. Too busy trying to keep himself alive, Shinji could not tell if Dr. Lang's pinpoint barrier was performing well enough to stop them.

"God, they're everywhere!" Skull eight cried out before catching fire. Shinji had to agree with the late pilot's assessment. The sheer number of Battlepods throwing themselves against the Veritechs was enough that flying ability started to take a back seat to pure luck in terms of keeping a pilot alive. Simply hitting the firing button was almost guaranteed to net you a kill. Shinji banked left hard, nearly missing a collision with a Battlepod. Just to top things off, the aliens had taken to re-using their suicide tactics.

"Watch your flanks, watch your flanks!" Skull ten warned.

"These things just keep coming at us!" Skull eight proclaimed.

"Keep loose, people." Roy ordered. "Don't let them box you in – tight formations just mean you can take out more of them at a time."

The battle was on its way to becoming a jumbled mess. The Battlepods threw themselves indiscriminately at their enemies, which resulted in casualties more often than not, but also kept the Veritechs from staying organized. On Macross Island, the rise in body count forced the aliens to fall back. Now, they were in far greater numbers.

"Get him off me!" Skull nineteen pleaded.

"I'm on him," Shinji said, coming up behind the Battlepod. A few seconds later he had a target lock. The Veritech let loose a missile, annihilating its quarry.

"Kid, pull up!" Roy shouted. He immediately jerked back on the controls, barely avoiding an energy blast. Roy's fighter tore through the attacking Battlepod the second Shinji was clear.

"I owe you one."

"Just keep on your toes. These guys love to sucker punch you."

The advice could only help so much as the battle wore on. It was supposed to be a lightning strike, with the Veritechs softening up the enemy just long enough for the SDF-1 to deliver the knock-out blow. Yet, no support came from the battle fortress, leaving the fighters desperate to survive an enemy far more tenacious than they remembered. Shinji just finished vaporizing an oncoming Battlepod when he heard Rick loudly wonder why they had no help from the SDF-1's main gun. For once, they were of the same mind. Unfortunately, Roy had no answers. He did have some orders.

"Shinji, strafing run!"

"Skull twenty and twenty-one, watch my wing," Shinji ordered as he darted towards the alien ship. As tactics went, it was more than borderline and crossed into suicidal. He skimmed above the alien ship, zig-zagging to avoid the guns as he let loose almost everything he had. Missiles and cannon fire hit the ship's surface, taking out the gun batteries. Shinji was so engrossed in his mission that he failed to notice that Skull twenty-one had exploded. He was just darting away when he noticed Rick's Veritech land on the ship in Battloid mode and then stumble inside. Sighing, the Sergeant made a sharp u-turn back towards the ship, just as Skull twenty collided with a Battlepod.

"Gotta hit this just right," Shinji said, adjusting his targeting computer to lock onto the location Rick fell in. He had to blast an entrance without killing Rick in the process. Placing his Veritech in the position for another strafing run, he loosed his final missile, which struck the armor exactly how it was supposed to. A hole was made and Shinji shifted his Veritech into Battloid mode to enter. Inside he found Rick and an alien in a standoff. Neither was moving, though Rick had his cannon leveled at it.

"Hunter, are you alright?" Shinji asked. There was no immediate response and then the entire ship started to rock violently.

"We've got to go!" Shinji shouted, his Battloid grabbing Rick's just as a fireball enveloped the giant alien. The two Veritechs flew out to see that the SDF-1 had rammed the Daedalus right into the alien ship, no doubt causing the explosions. They shifted back to Fighter mode and watched as the vessel burst from the inside out, resulting in the biggest fireball Shinji had ever seen. Watching it consumed by the vacuum of space, leaving behind scattered debris, brought the experience to a close. There were hoots and hollers over the comm as the remaining pilots basked in the literal glow of victory. Neither Rick nor Shinji said a word to each other as neither was sure exactly what _to_ say to the other. One thing was clear to both of them, however:

The battle of Saturn's rings was over.

* * *

As usual, a thank you to LD for his editing duties. It's appreciated.

Thanks to my readers for their patience.

Up next: a blue-haired prodigy, his loudmouthed friend, and a backstabber.


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